


Broken Boundaries

by Tyrelingkitten



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe, Big Bang Challenge, Chaptered, Gen, Implied Relationships, Long Shot, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-25
Updated: 2015-04-26
Packaged: 2018-03-25 19:30:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 30,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3822121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tyrelingkitten/pseuds/Tyrelingkitten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the OPBigBang 2015</p><p>AU - Law is Death who picks up Luffy’s soul to enter the road to the afterlife. Along the way Luffy decides to become Death as well and with his decision it triggers Law’s memories before he became Death. A not quite bromance story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part I - X day with Death

**Author's Note:**

> **Warnings:** violence, character deaths, mindwipe, kidnapping, torture references.
> 
> I honestly don't have patience and the drive to write a long comprehensive big bang fic that is over 25k /sobs/ but I'm glad I did. The process was hard and painful but at the same time fun and engaging. If it weren't for the following lovely people, I probably would have given up already.
> 
> Thank you **kiyoishiteppei** for creating [such wonderful artwork](http://kiyoishiteppei.tumblr.com/post/117345942404/my-second-and-last-submission-for-op-big-bang). Thank you **sa-mu-uu** for patiently beta-ing and holding my hand. Thank you to Imperialmint and Lunarshores for organizing this whole event, for the uplifting peptalks when I hit the very bottom. And at last, thank you ansa, tiggie, acorn, nadia, mon, and cham (you know who you are) for cheering me on twitter even though you didn't know what kind of project I was working on.  
>  Despite the warnings mentioned above, I hope you still enjoy this. The writing isn't as dark as those warnings suggest it might be.

 

* * *

 

 

 

> _The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?_
> 
> _Edgar Allan Poe_

 

* * *

 

He goes by the name of Death. Although he's not the only one who carries this name, it's the one he always uses to introduce himself to everyone he meets. A habit that never left. A title that is forever tacked on his face.   

 

Before Death, he had many names. All of them long forgotten through the long passages of time.

 

All except for one: Law.

 

It was a name closely related to his profession, based on rules of the Universe, on balance against chaos in life.

 

It was the name given to him when his current soul form could no longer enter the afterlife to be reborn.

 

It was a reminder that he continued to exist because he was bound to the laws of the afterlife.

 

Rarely had he ever shared around with souls. If not at all. Why would he share it anyway?

There was no need for personal pleasantries while working as Death. Once the souls pass the Gate of Justice, they would forget everything. Including ever meeting him and hearing his name.

 

Such was how the world of the afterlife worked.

 

Death would escort the soul of the dead on the long road to the afterlife called Bridge of Hesitance and then deliver them safely at the Gate of Justice. Past the Gate is where all memories would be wiped out for the soul in order for it to move on to the next life.

 

Memories play a huge role during the process. They are the moments the dead have experienced during the times they were once alive, the moments when their dreams were made true and the regrets that weighed down their shoulders. It’s only by wiping out all these moments, can the soul be sent off to the next life and start afresh. To quicken this process, Death was required to walk beside them on the Bridge of Hesitance, subtly erasing everything that was once a moment of life.

 

He had never questioned why this was the way it worked in the Afterlife.

 

Until souls started recognizing him.

  


The first time a soul recognized him, Law was floating ten feet under water.

 

The moon had not been strong enough to illuminate the cradle of the sea. Grey clouds had obscured most of its visibility, cloaking the sky in an ominous wool of uncertainty. A storm had struck for hours, carrying violent sea waves, torrents of rain and unforgiving winds that broke the main mast and torn the still-open sails of an unfortunate ship. It belonged to a traveling merchant and his little band of helpers.

 

One of the crew had slipped and got thrown into the violent swirling waters, drowning not long after his feeble attempts to resurface the crashing waves.

 

The name of the man was already in Law’s book of death. It’s only a matter of timing for Law would claim the soul from the body. Claim it too early, the soul would tear in half before its time and ultimately cut off the soul's opportunities in the next life. Claim it too late, the soul would cling harder to life and ultimately choose to turn into a vengeful demon spirit, haunting the living, while still thinking it's alive.

 

Before the man’s body could get entangled with one of the sea currents passing through, Law stuck a hand into the man’s head, brushed against the soul to wake it up and then whipped out his demon sword, Kikoku, to cut off the tie between man and soul.

 

“Houzi.” Law said. It was the name that appeared in Law’s book of death. A nickname his adoptive family had given the unfortunate man. His real name never existed since he hadn’t been named upon his birth. The soul split from its host and opened its eyes.

 

Houzi immediately seeked out Law, as if he had known Law had been there all along. His eyes were clear. No signs of confusion. No sign of fear. As if he recognized Law’s reason for floating nearby.

 

Death has many faces. The most famous one is the face of a skull, completely picked clean from skin, muscle, blood and veins, obscured by the hood of a long black toga. If Law had worn that face every time he picked off souls, he would never be able to finish any of his missions at all. The general consensus of the living is that Death would forever look like a creepy set of bones moving about with a deathscythe. That expectation in their imagination often terrified them that once Death came close they'd rather refuse to follow him.

 

So Law usually choose to wear the skin of a young man in his mid-twenties with deep set eyes and unamused thin set of lips, dressed in a large black trench coat, buttoned up to his neck and finished off with a puffy hat.

 

“Are you here to help me?” Houzi asked.

 

“No.” Law ignored the nickname.

 

“Thought so.” A sad smile crossed Houzi’s face. “Any chance of making out alive?”

 

“None at all.” Law said, his tone very dry and his expression dark. “I’ve come to collect you.”

 

“Ah, you’re Death.” Houzi interrupted, “Is it already time for me?”

 

Law narrowed his eyes at Houzi and nodded once. “I’ve already cut you off from this mortal plane.”

 

“I see.” Houzi said.

 

"You never learned to swim. And yet you applied for a job that involves plenty of water."

 

“Mind your own business." Houzi sniffed. "I’m not going to regret it though. Not learning to swim, I mean. Nor am I going to regret taking this job. It's the only chance I had that could send me out into the world.”

 

Houzi finally realized he was floating in deep water and stared at the swirling, weak moonlight above, a small school of fishes wiggled past his line of sight. “Can you bring my body to the surface, Mr. Death?”

 

Law shook his head, “I’m sorry. That is out of my hands.”

 

“So there will be no body to bury back home...” Houzi sighed, dropping his proud act.

 

Law flicked his hands and opened a black hole in the waters. The seawater didn't stream into the hole, suggesting that it's an otherworldly phenomena. Just like Death floating with him nearby. “Beyond this door is the Bridge of Hesitance also known as the Road to the Afterlife. I’ll be escorting you till the Gate of Justice. Along the way you are free to remember anything from this life, anything that you’d want to remember. Once I leave you at the Gate of Justice, you will be given a chance live another life.”

 

The delivery of the speech sounded dry to Houzi's ears. It had been repeated so many times Death's voice came out flat and bored, and maybe a little irritated.

 

"So I just have to go into that place?" Houzi pointed to the hole.

 

"Yes."

 

"And that will lead me to this Bridge of Hesitance?"

 

"Yes."

 

Houzi snorted, "Who named these places?"

 

"If I knew, I'd send him to you to explain himself."

 

"Really? Would that person consider changing it to Corridor for Heroes?"

 

"No, of course not. Why would he?"

 

"Lame." Houzi snorted.

 

Law rolled his eyes. "Come on. It's time to go, Houzi."  He herded to enter the black hole and escorted him into the afterlife.  

 

Once Houzi passed the Gate to be reborn, Law and went back to the living world to collect his next soul. He didn’t think the incident was important enough report to his supervisor.

 

After all, the first time might have been a fluke. It might have been the shock of being dead to the world that made the soul speak of recognition.

  
  
The next time a soul had recognized him was when Law entered an elderly home where colorful paper windmills hung down from the ceiling. The window shades were thrown wide open, letting the sunlight into the room. A simple wind chime in the shape of a small fish bowl hanging at the window, cast off bright circles at the far-off wall and made soft tinkling sounds every time a breeze passed through, sending the clapper and the tubes clinking into each other. Cheerful mementos decorated the desk table nearby, framed drawings done by children who visited the occupant, one thin blue vase with a bright sunflower inside, one jar filled with colored ribbon stars and another with silver glitters.  

 

The brightness of the room was a stark contrast to Law’s mission.

 

The owner of the room was no longer breathing.

 

Law stuck his hand into the dead, brushed his fingers to awaken the soul and pulled out his sword to cut the soul from the body.

 

“Yo,” The soul greeted, holding up a hand without waving, “Grumpy Old Man.”

 

Law quirked his eyebrows, sheathed his sword and strapped the scabbard on his back.

 

“Death,” Law corrected belatedly, “I’m Death.”

 

The new soul gave him a wide smile. “I know.” He straightened and thrust out his stomach as he pushed both fists behind his lower hipbones in a mock super hero stance. “I’ve known Death would appear. I felt it in my bones. And it’s you!” For a newly released soul, he seemed way too excited to meet Law.

 

Law shot a glance to the body the soul had left behind. The body was a frail old man tucked underneath thick gray blankets with a sad, wrinkling smile on his gaunt, thin face. One gnarly hand that stuck outside the blankets had one missing index finger, a small stump where the first bone ended in wrinkled skin stitched together.

 

Gramps D, D for Duke, Law went through the info mentally. Duke was once an infantryman, fought long battles alongside his king, climbed up the ranks to General and remained in service until his death. He never got married, despite having several relationships with court ladies, and died without having a namesake of his own blood to carry out his duties.

 

The soul looked familiar, but the face he wore in the Living world, not so much.

 

Law tapped the wall which opened a hole, the entrance to the afterlife. “Come along, the afterlife awaits for no one except for the-.”

 

“Not yet.” the soul, Gramps D interrupted.

 

Law sighed, muttering to himself “I knew this was too easy to be true.” And he didn’t hide the glare he shot at Duke. “We don’t have all day.” In fact, Law had too many missions to finish. Gramps D doesn't need to know that.

 

“Just for a while.” Duke grinned and sat down on the chair beside the bed. Surprisingly he didn’t go through the wooden chair (it might have been because he accepted his death like) and remained seated. He folded his hands on his lap and stared down at the body he used to have, thoughtfully studying his face and dredging up memories that faded away in time. “Thank you for this wonderful life. Thank you for living to your dreams until the very end.”

 

Duke inhaled slowly and then turned his eyes to Law, standing up. “All right, let’s go.”

  

Law frowned at the grinning old man soul. He was too happy to move on this fast. Duke’s twinkling eyes made Law pause, confused at first, because why was he staring, why was there a knowing look in those ancient eyes.

 

Duke blinked innocently. And then Law rolled his eyes.

 

Of course.

 

“You remember me now, god of Death?” Duke tilted head to one side, his lips stretched out wide in a big smile.

 

Law huffed. “How could I possibly forget.” Actually, yes, Law had forgotten. But Duke didn’t need to know that.

 

“Shishishishi! ”

 

“Let’s go.” Law tapped the wall and opened a black hole. “Beyond this door is the Bridge of Hesitance also known as the Road to the Afterlife. I’ll be escorting you till the Gate of Justice. Along the way you are free to remember anything from this life, anything that you’d want to remember. Once I leave you at the Gate of Justice, you will be given a chance live another life.”

 

“Yes, I’ve heard it already. Now, let’s go go go go.” Duke skipped ahead and went into the hole in the wall with Law following close by. “I can’t wait to see what else you have in store for me in the next life.”

  


The third time a soul called him Grumpy Old Guy again, was when Law was staring down at a prone, mangled body in the middle of the street. The girl was staring wide-eyed at him, smiling for no reason as she called out to him. "Hey, Grumpy, we meet again." She would've grown into a successful woman had she not jump in front of a car to save a cat that day.

 

Blood already pooled around the body. Her eyes were staring unseeing ahead. The cat wiggled out from the cradle of the stiff hands. And people all around the area who witnessed the happening, were crowding around her body. Several of them started dialing the number for an ambulance, while others took pictures of her unfortunate state to share with the world on the internet. The driver who hit her was off by the sideline, kneeling on the road as his shaking hands tried calling for the police or his family.

 

It didn't take too long for Law to sever the soul linked with the body.

 

"Luka." Law stated.

 

"This looks bad, isn't it?" The girl asked, her smile wobbling. She surveyed her current self, the soul part, and then the body lying sprawled across the road. "You can tell me, Death. You don't have to spare me from all the gore."

 

Instead of answering Luka, Law simply going on his haunches beside the soul and said with a serious face, "I've come to collect you. The place I'm taking you, will bring you to peace. It's the afterlife. Once you pass, you will get a chance to start a new life in another body."

 

"Oh." Luka lowered her head. "There's no going back then. Here, in this one, I mean."

 

"Come, Luka." And Law drew open the black hole again to accept the new soul.

 

After escorting Luka through a relative short road to the Gate (a series of carefree moments where Luka had breezed through middle school and high school with average grades and impressive athletic abilities to adapt in any sport she was asked to fill in at the last moment), Law pondered at the nickname he had been called on three counts. Whatever was happening to the memory erasing qualities of the Bridge of Hesitance, Law started researching for similar strange cases in the Library of the Death Force.

 

Law wondered if he should’ve told his supervisor about these recurring incidents of souls recognizing him left and right. Either that, or leave it to be because there was no substantial proof as to why this was happening right now. And why exactly several of his cases.

 

It's only much later did Law realize it's the same soul that recognized him.

 

Over and over again.

 

And he had yet to meet the most annoying incarnation of them all.  

  


* * *

 

 

"Luffy."

 

Luffy's eyes fluttered open. The wool of haziness that usually embraced his mind as he wakes up, was no longer welcoming him into the waking world. Instead, his sight was clear, undisturbed and open, as if he hadn't been sleeping for hours on end. As if morphine hadn't been pumped into his blood to ease off the pressure underneath the skin and the stinging through his bones.

 

 

Was it all a dream?

 

Luffy splayed a hand to his chest, feeling the soft skin and furrowed his brows.

 

There's no gaping hole there.

 

He rubbed his chest, drawing wide circles across the skin. Blinked a few times.

 

Luffy sat up, trying to look down to his chest.

 

Nothing.

 

There was no hole, no stitches, no dried blood. Only a cross-shaped, discolored, pale skin tissue strapped across what actually should have been a fatal wound right through his chest.

 

So it wasn't exactly a dream. The accident, that is. All he remembered is a disconnected sensation of being tense, cornered into an alley or some sort and then the hot, pole of something protrude into his chest, burning him inside out.

 

"Monkey D. Luffy."

 

Luffy reacted to his name, looking up.

 

A man was standing beside the bed, dressed in the long, pristine white coat. No mask on. He was neither a friend nor a family relative Luffy recognized. Given his record of memorizing people's faces, which is to say 'not that good', Luffy isn't too worried about who this man supposed to be.

 

The long coat gave his identity away. One of the doctors who treated him maybe?

 

Or at least that was what he first thought.

 

The furry hat on the stranger’s head, though, was a completely different thing.

 

"Are you the one who saved me?" Luffy tilted his head to one side, his eyes focused on the other man.

 

The man's face was blank, unsmiling. A sliver of shadow cast across his eyes. He raised his left arm out, held his palm up and then curled his index finger and middle finger into a beckoning motion. The letters E and A tattooed onto the back of his fingers. A long black scabbard appeared before the man's hand.

 

 

"Wow, that's so cool! Can I hold it? How did you do this?" Luffy exclaimed, his arms stretched out trying to grab the sword.

 

"It's time to go." The man said his lips barely moving. "Room."

 

"What do you mean room?"

 

The man pulled out the sword kept within and slashed into Luffy's direction. Luffy didn't have time to scream. He threw himself back into the bedding, back pressed into the pillows, both his arms flung across his face out of instinct. The sharp blade caught the skin of his neck, down to the muscles underneath, into the core of bones and then-

 

\--Luffy’s ears were ringing, something in his chest unplugged and tore into two pieces. It didn’t hurt though.

 

A loud drawn-out beep shrieked, breaking the silence in the room.

 

Luffy peered through the opening between his arms. The strange man sheathed his long sword.

 

"What the hell was that for?" Luffy snapped at the man, dropping his arms from covering his head, jumping out of bed to stab a finger into the white coat. Much to his displeasure, Luffy only reached to the other man's chin. His intimidation had failed.

 

"What gives you the right to attack me? Who are you?" He demanded.

 

"I am Death," The man pushed Luffy's stabbing finger away his chest, "I've come to collect your soul."

 

"Death?" Luffy blinked at the Man Called Death, "What do you mean death? Are you saying that I'm dead? There's no way-"

 

"See for yourself," Death tilted his head to point out the direction behind Luffy as he shoulders the strap of his black scabbard on his right. The sword disappeared once it rested on the shoulder.

 

Luffy frowned at Death and turned around.

 

True to Death's words, the world went gray while people dressed in hospital garb rushed around the room, shouting orders, dragging a machinery closer to the bed for reanimation. Luffy finally saw himself in the bed, bundled tight in blankets. His eyes were closed, his face bruised up.

 

His hospital gown was open at the chest. The rise and fall of his chest to indicate his body breathing was absent.

 

And the heart monitor showed a long flat line. The doctor and nurses tried their best to reanimate the body, shocking the heart twice. But all they managed to get was opening the chest wound that was starting to bleed over the

 

“Monkey D. Luffy. Time of death.” The surgeon checked his wristwatch. “Four oh five a-m, February twentieth.” The nurse beside him scribbled the bare necessities on the clipboard and then passed the pen to the doctor to sign.

 

He was actually dead.

 

"This can't be real?" Luffy shakes his head, his hands already raising to cradle his head, "Why did I die? How did I die? I haven't accomplished anything at this point."

 

Death doesn't comment at first. Often times the soul needs to have some bearing coming to terms that its body is no longer alive to house the soul.  “An accident with a hot pipe.”

 

“What? How?”

 

“I don’t know the circumstances surrounding the accident. Just that you could have been killed instantly but managed to live a little longer until the operation room.”

 

“How did I even get a hot pipe in my chest? This is too surreal.”

 

"Come." Death ordered. With a snap of his fingers, the pristine white coat he was wearing disappears and in its place is a black, long coat with grey spots at end of it. He waves a general direction to the wall opposite of the bed.  "The Gateway to Repentance awaits no one except for the non-living."

 

A pitch black hole opens into the wall.

 

"Oh no no no." Luffy shakes his head, angry, "Oh no, Mister Fluffy Hat. I'm not going anywhere! Put me back there!” He jabs a finger to the prone body in the bed, “Put me back into my body!"

 

Death gave him a long unimpressed look. “That’s not my place to interfere.” Death said. “And I’m not Mr. Fluffy Hat.”

 

“What? What do you mean? Can’t you just whoosh me back into my body? I can’t die here. I can’t.”

 

“Your time is up, Monkey D. Luffy. I’m not god. I’m just a soul collector and your name happened to be on my list.”

 

“Then tell that god to put me back in there.” Luffy ordered. “Why did I die? I can’t die just yet.”

 

Death continued to look unimpressed with his insistence, and for a moment Luffy saw a scowl forming on his face before it disappeared in a blink.  So Death wasn’t as expressionless as he would like to be.

 

“No. It’s your time to leave this world.”

 

“I’m not going anywhere until I’m back in my body.”

 

A flash of irritation passed through Death’s eyes. “I have already severed your connection to this world. There’s no way you can return into the Living world.”

 

“You what? Bastard!” Luffy shot forward to thwap Death on the head as hard as he could, “Why did you do that for? Connect me back to it! Right now.”

 

Death did not look like he was in pain, but Luffy’s assault had surprised him. His eyes were wide, furious maybe, and he had dropped his jaw just by a fraction. Death reached a hand over to his hat and patted it as to soothe the pain Luffy had delivered.

 

By now, Death was out right scowling at him, “The link you once had in this world cannot be reversed. It’s time to move on, Luffy.”

 

“I don’t want to. You can’t make me.” Luffy countered as he crossed his arms, glaring down at Death despite being shorter than Man-called-Death, “And it’s all your fault.”

 

“You stay any longer as a soul without a body you would easily destroy all your chances of a new life after this one.”

 

Luffy sniffed, “Like I care. I want this life back.”

 

Death let out a long, tired sigh. He opened his mouth to say something but then he looked to his right, where the long black scabbard had hung and dropped whatever he had wanted to say to Luffy.

 

“Fine. You can get a few minutes to see yourself carted off to the mortuary. I’ve a job to do.”

 

“Like what?”

 

“This is a hospital. There bound to be more people dying and needing my existence.” Death gave him a grin. It might have been the lighting or the odd angle, but a shadow thrown across Death’s face made him more sinister than Luffy expected him to be.

 

The devil. He must be speaking to a demon. Luffy shivered.

 

Without further delay, Death stepped out of the room, right through the door and did not look back.

 

Luffy huffed at the closed door, making a face at it and then crossed his arms to study his body. He laid himself into the body, but slipped right through the bed. How was he going to fix this dilemma? Nothing was anchoring him down into the body. Nothing was keeping him from passing through it as well.

 

“HEY ME, WAKE UP! THERE IS NO TIME TO BE DYING RIGHT HERE!” Luffy shouted and slapped his body’s face a few time. Although he was already aware he couldn’t touch himself, his fingers simply passed right through in his attempt to assault his own body, he was still surprised at feeling nothing at all. not even an airy sensation.  he raised his palm up to inspect his hand, but couldn’t see anything of significance and slumped on the chair beside the bed. He fell through the cushions and ended up sprawled on the floor.

 

He’s definitely dead right now.

 

There was no turning back.   

 

* * *

 

 

“So have you decided yet?”

 

Luffy looked up, pouting at Death who materialized in the room. Death still looked blank and empty at him, except for that little smug light in his eyes.

 

Luffy glared at him, annoyed. “No! of course not!”

 

“We can stay here all day if you want, but that will be not in your best interests.” Death crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. trying to look cool in front of a dead person. It ticked Luffy off.

 

“Tell me, Mr. Furry hat.” Luffy raised his chin. “What is in my best interests when i can’t even get into my body?”

 

“The afterlife.”

 

“Why? Who decided that?”

 

“You’re a soul. Your existence in the living realm is no longer valid to keep you alive. The only thing you can do right now, is to follow me to the afterlife.”

 

“And what happens there?”

 

“You relive your memories for a moment and then you go through the gate of justice where they put you on a test to see if you can reincarnate into a new body or not.”

 

“What kind of tests? What if I failed the test? does that mean I’ll end up in hell?”

 

Death stared at him thoughtfully. “I don’t know. My job ends at the gate. What happens behind the gate is a whole different realm.”

 

“Tests huh. I don’t do well with tests. What if it’s theoretical test about my beliefs? I better just stay in this world.”

 

“You can’t. Your body is already dead. The link you once have is no longer going to sustain you in this world.”

 

“So? I’ll find a way to get back into my body.”

 

“And yet, you haven’t succeeded the time I’ve left you here.” Death raised an imperious eyebrow at him.

 

“Shut up. I’m working on it.”

 

“And I’m telling you, you can’t. Not while i’m still on duty here. Your soul has to pass through otherwise you-” then Death stopped.

 

“Otherwise what? What will happen?” Luffy asked curiously.

 

“When you stay far longer than needed in this living realm, you end up turning into a vengeful spirit.”

 

“What’s so wrong about that?”

 

“You either take possession of someone’s body or you begin a haunting. Either way, someone close to you, your family or friends, they will all die in some way.”

 

Luffy stared at him in horror.  “No way.”

 

“Look, you are now a soul without a living vessel. At some point you’ll start craving for a body because the connection you once had, is missing. Once the craving is at its highest level, you pick off a living person, usually it’s someone close to you when you were once alive. And once you’ve successfully entered the body, you will automatically start a fight with the body’s original soul. Your desire to get the body will corrupt the soul and after some period you absorb the soul which leads to killing that person’s body you want to possess.”

 

“No way!”

 

“Do you still want to hang around and take over someone’s body now?"

 

“... what will happen to that person’s soul then? Will they go to the afterlife?”

 

“They won’t.” Death paused. “They’ve ceased from existence the moment they lose to a vengeful spirit. they won’t even get to see the road to the afterlife”

 

“Does this happen all the time?”

 

Death stared at him dead on. “Yes.”

 

“Is there something you will do if I turn?”

 

Death gave him a pinched look. “I’ll give your case to the Supernatural Force and they will deal with you.”

 

“... deal with me. How?”

 

“They will exorcise you first and bring you in for an investigation.”

 

“That doesn’t sound too bad.”

 

“It actually is. You’re no longer qualified to follow the usual path to the afterlife and take the test. Instead, you go straight down to the hell and cease to exist anyway.”

 

“So… either way, I’m doomed.”

 

“This is death, Luffy. You’re either dead or alive. There is no middle area.”

 

* * *

 

 

The road to the afterlife was long and empty and practically looked like a desert at first glance. there was no cloud, no trees, no sand, nothing… only a long path etched on the floor, a barren wasteland. And some bright light coming from the back. Since there was no heat coming off the light source he assumed it might have been some magic mystery light floating in the back. Luffy didn’t turn around to check.

 

Some mysteries were best left alone.

 

Instead, Luffy was interested in where they were going. He stretched out his neck, going on his tiptoes and peered through the long blank path as if making himself longer was automatically the answer to see far ahead. He couldn’t see anything except for a blank horizon stretched out far and wide.

 

They’ve been walking for a long time. For who knows how long. Although Luffy didn't feel tired, he was pretty sure they've been walking for hours. Maybe even days. Death did say time moved differently in the afterlife compared to the living world.

 

With nothing else to keep him occupied, Luffy turned to his companion, Mr. Death. That guy had been quiet the whole time they had taken this long boring road trip.

 

“Are we there yet?” Luffy turned to poke Death with a finger.

 

“Not yet.”

 

“how long is this going to be? how long is this road going to be?”

 

“As long as it takes.”

 

Luffy tilted his head in confusion, his eyebrows quirking up. “that is how long exactly?”

 

“for some, it is short. While for others it is rather long.”

 

“and how do you decide how long this road will be?” Luffy crossed his arms and puffed his cheeks, obviously not getting it.

 

“I don’t. I’m simply walking beside you till we reach the gate.”

 

“All right, then I want to be at the gate right now.” Luffy stopped walking and pointed a finger at his toes.

 

Death sighed. “it doesn’t work like that.” He also stopped walking, turning just right to meet Luffy. “The road to the afterlife depends on yourself. it is built on your memories. So everything here is supposed to be what you remember at this moment.”

 

“stop talking in circles and tell me.” Luffy huffed. “what does that have to do with anything? can’t i just run and meet you at the end of the road?”

 

“you can. you simply just need to make up memories that are dear to you.” one of death’s eyebrows twitched.

 

“why?”

 

“it’s part of the process to make it to the end of the road. unlike yourself, this place has put boundaries on my existence. i am simply escorting you. Like a shadow that follows you. nothing more.”

 

“So basically, your magic can’t conjure a bike or a car like your sword earlier?”

 

“It’s not magic!” Death snapped. “No. I can’t. My capabilities end where I’ve cut you from the Mortal plane and lead you here.”

 

“that’s so stupid.” luffy grumbled. “and i don’t need another shadow. one is enough.  It’d be weird to have two when you are too different from my own shadow.”

 

Death’s eye twitched and the corner of his mouth curled up a little in a half snarl and before slipping into a neutral flat line.

 

Luffy gave him a wide grin anyway. “so basically it’s all in my hands right now.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Does that mean I can do magic?”

 

“I told you, it’s not magic. This is just the realm that depends on your memories. You only get to relive it once.” Death snapped, his eyebrows furrowed in a near v sign on his face.

 

“Ohhhh. Bummer.” Luffy drooped his shoulders. “I thought if this was a magic room like that magic light behind us, I would get my own robot suit and wear one the whole way till that important gate of yours. That’d be so cool!”

 

“Luffy, please. Can we just go?” Death raised a hand to rub his temple, as he sighed. “Just…” Death waved his hand around. “Just think of something. like your childhood? your parents? or the first time you got perfect scores on a test. Anything will do.”

 

“Why would i want to do that? I can’t even remember them.” Luffy stared blankly at him.

 

This was going to go on and on forever.  Death dropped his face into his palm.

 

“But as strange as it sounds, I can remember you though.” Luffy tapped his chin. “You’re the Grumpy Old Man.”

 

As Luffy took several steps ahead of Death, the whole path leading to the Gate was filled with colors, scenes, faces and thoughts. Memories of Luffy’s past.

 

Death noticed the change and raised his head from his hand. Finally, going somewhere. He gave the conjured scenes a cursory glance and pointed to a random one. The one where Luffy had his head underneath someone’s armpit.

 

“Tell me about that one. Your family right?”

 

Luffy squinted at the scene Death had pointed to and brightened, lips stretched wide. “Yep. That’s Ace.”

 

“So what happened there?”

 

“We were under cover.”

 

Death gave him a look. “Sunglasses don’t do much to hide your faces. You’d utterly fail blending in.”

 

“You’re absolutely right, you know.” Luffy puffed his cheeks. “I told Ace we should’ve worn moustaches and colorful shirts. We would’ve looked like cool Muten Roshi from Dragon Ball.”

 

“That’s the opposite of undercover work.”

 

“That’s what Ace said too! So we ditched the shirts and just went with the sunglasses.”

 

“And? Why were you fighting? Your target spotted you?”

 

“Shishishishi.” Luffy shook his head, grinning. “No, he didn’t catch us. We were behind huge flower pots in the far corner. We saw everything.”

 

“Everything?”

 

“Yep.”  

 

“Why were you undercover?”

 

“We were stalking Sabo and his date. To make sure nothing would happen to him.”

 

Death quirked his eyebrows.

 

“We were trying to find who’s this girl he had been seeing and decided to tag along.”

 

“So how was she? Did she meet your approval?”

 

Luffy gave him a blank look. “She? She was… normal, I guess. Didn’t pay too much attention. I was focused on ordering food from the restaurant. That’s why Ace got mad and put me in a headlock. Shishishishi. Oh hey! Wanna hear a something cool?”

 

“It’s not like you will listen if I refuse.” Death said wryly.

 

“Awesome!” Luffy ignored the snark, grinning at Death. “Thanks~ so you better listen well, Mr. Furry hat.”

 

“That’s not my name.” Death said through gritted teeth.

 

“Then what’s your name? How should I call you? Mr. Bearskin?”

 

“Death. You can call me Death.”

 

“Boring. But whatever, wanna hear it?”

 

“You might as well go ahead. Since you now have all the time in the world until the Gate.”

 

* * *

 

 

“All right~.” Luffy cracked his fingers. “Let me tell you about the time when I was a Dragonslayer and you’re the witch I was hunting.”

 

“Me.” Death said. “A Witch?” Still he decided to play along.

 

“Yep! A very powerful immortal witch.”

 

“Is this part of some fairy tale you humans tell each other all the time?”

 

“Of course not.” Luffy sounded affronted. “You said you’ve been waiting for me for centuries.” Luffy slapped Death’s back twice.

 

“When did I say that?” Death snapped before he realized he had lost his calm. He huffed and rubbed his head. “What happened after that?” No use trying to steer the conversation away. Luffy will still find a way to control it all.

 

“Hmmm.” Luffy tapped his chin thoughtfully and stared into the sky. “I killed you. I think. Your blood was strong enough to kill a dragon. That was the whole mission about. You wanted me to kill you anyway. So it was a success.”

 

“Why," Law said flatly, "Would I want you to kill me?”

 

Luffy shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe you’re lonely. You’ve lived too long and seen too much? Maybe you’re the dragon everybody was talking about?”

 

“How are you not sure? You're the storyteller.”

 

“Hey! The details are fuzzy. And I wasn’t exactly there in my current life, you know? It seems like a movie at first but now I’m definitely sure you were the Witch once. How did you become the Witch anyway? And you don't look like you'd aged one bit”

 

“Like I would know? I don’t have memories of my lives before I became Death.”

 

“Oh.” Luffy’s wide eyes blinked at him. “Too bad. You seemed to be everywhere in mine.”

 

The grin Luffy flashed at him no longer looked mischievous. If breathing were essential for sustaining his Death work, Law would have convulsed on the ground, gasping for air. Because surely, that smile Luffy sent his way should not even make him feel like he had dropped into an endless ravine without a ground floor in sight.

 

“Anyway, one time we met in jail.” Luffy recounted as if Law’s silence was encouragement to continue his stories. “I don’t know what you did, but I was thrown in because I got caught in the middle of a fight with some gangs-”

 

Luffy’s stories ranged from actual memories as Luffy and as other people, supposedly from another time, another place. Still, his stories were brought alive alongside the road to the Gate in a series of surprisingly elaborate movie sequences. They made Law question if the road Luffy was walking hadn’t gone defect over the centuries.

 

“-and oh one time you got kidnapped in the rain. You followed someone into the other side-”

 

Law made noncommittal sounds to appear polite and listening when in fact he was mentally going through every rule book he had somehow memorized during his training, searching for a case that discussed memories that were never erased. Did something like this happen before? How frequent do these cases pop up? Who was his last Death escort? Why weren’t his memories erased? The parts where Law was supposedly part of Luffy’s many memories were still a mystery.

 

After what seemed like several hours of nonsense storytelling, Law put his foot down.

 

“All right, all right. I get it. I’m everywhere in your dreams-”

 

“They’re not dreams.”

 

“How do you even remember them?” Death side-eyed Luffy. “Are you just pulling stories out of your ass?”

 

Luffy puffed his face. "I'm not lying! You're mean. You weren't even listening, were you?"

 

"I was. Until the point you talked about us meeting in jail."

 

"You completely missed the exciting parts! Like the meat fest we had and I trumped you in stuffing meat in my mouth. Or that one time when we went fishing and you fell into the water and-."

 

"All right, all right. Stop, Luffy. I get it. We've met a lot of times." Probably only in his dreams, Law resisted the urge to snort at the thought. That's a first--the living dreaming about Death, about him.   

  


“Can I ask you a question, Mister Fluff hat?” Luffy asked.

 

Law had long since given up on correcting Luffy’s naming skill. He opened his mouth, ready to refuse at the tip of his tongue but then, he decided to go along with it.

 

“Fine.” Law huffed. “What is it?”

 

“How old are you?” Luffy asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

 

Law stared at him.

 

“Why do you want to know?” He finally asked.

 

“Just curious. I mean, for some reason the first thing that pops in my mind when I see you is, grumpy old man. but you don’t look old at all. about the same age as my brothers.”

 

Law pointed to his own face. “This is not a real human face that can make you guess my age. My actual face is-”

 

Luffy ignored him, instead he went back to the initial question.“So? How old?”

 

“I’ve been around for a long time.” Law said vaguely, dropping his hand.

 

“How long?” Luffy pressed on.

 

Law frowned at him. “It’s not important.”

 

“But it is!” Luffy insisted. “You keep saying you have no memories of your previous lives. What if.” he stopped dramatically. “What if you were reincarnated into this one? Once your life here is up you walk this road as well, right?”

 

“That’s imposs-.” Law froze and then blinked his eyes, trying to collect his thoughts. No matter how taxing and random Luffy had been from the moment Law had cut him off from the mortal plane, Luffy understood the cycle now that he had re-lived many of his memories, including the ones from his previous lives. Some that even had Law in them for some reason.

 

“Wait--you may have a point there.” Law rested his chin on a curled finger. There was only one case Law had personally witnessed where a Death passed through the Gate of Justice to reincarnate into the next life.

 

“It is possible.” Law said thoughtfully. “What’s your point?”

 

“Let’s go back.”

 

Law blinked at him. “What? Why?”

 

“I’ve decided I won’t go through that big gate to take some test and get another body.”

 

“Luffy--there’s no turning back. I’ve already told you that. The only way is to move on.” Law gestured to the long road ahead.

 

“Yes, I know. But I don’t want to be reborn as a different person with other memories. I want to remember this life. This life I once had with everyone, with Ace, with Sabo, with Makino…” Luffy rattled off more names, most of them Law didn’t recognized immediately but he assumed those were Luffy’s relatives.

 

“All right, I get it. You don’t want to forget.” Law scowled.

 

“That’s right. You’re finally listening. I’m glad.” Luffy deadpanned.

 

He rested his hands on his hips, puffing his chest. “I’ve decided to become Death.”

 

Whatever Law had expected Luffy to tell him, it was certainly not _that_.

 

 

 


	2. Memories I ~ Law

"Sir, wake up." A small hand prodded his shoulder. "Sir."

 

Law shuddered, the dream he was and glared half-lidded eyes at the air hostess.

 

"It's time to get off the plane, sir."

 

"What time is it?" He muttered, pushing himself off the headrest and winced when a sharp pain lanced along his neck and pulsed through the back of his skull. He rubbed the back of his neck as he looked around the place he had fallen asleep in.

 

"It's half past nine, sir. We've arrived an hour ago." The air hostess pulled open the head compartment to take down his hand luggage. "Tell you what, if you rush out right now, you might be able to catch the last bus to the nearby village. From there on you can take a train ride to Goa."

 

Law checked his watch and huffed. He didn't want to rush. He hated rushing. It reminded of the time when he was still a general practitioner under his father's tutelage; he was suddenly needed everywhere, in the emergency department then the pathology department and then the apothecary. Just an assistant practitioner with no work experience.

 

"Thank you." He mumbled quietly and grabbed his luggage to get off the plane. His shoulders were aching. There's a crick in his neck, and tiny pin needles had struck his legs just as he tried to move. Just great; the blood circulation had gone full force, and now his legs weren't ready to support his weight just yet. He stumbled a little, but grabbed the seats along the aisle to steady himself.

 

The first thing he noticed when he exited the door of the plane was that  there was no arrival gate boarding bridge with air conditioning to lead him straight into the airport. Instead, he found himself staring at an open area which served as the airplane landing strip.

 

The summer heat hit him in full force, wrapping around him like an oven at its peak. He could feel his face growing hot with exertion. He looked to his far right and saw the airport building, a tiny one, less than one fourth the size of the one he had seen in Water 7. Whatever reasons he had for moving away from the successful, technologically advanced Water 7 and the high end Dressrosa Central Medical Centers suddenly failed to prepare him for the... desolateness of Goa city.

 

A whole buzz of preconceived images settled in his mind--what if their health center was just as tiny? What if there wasn’t enough equipment to sufficiently work with patients? What if the money wasn't enough to stay here? What if the resources in this land were so bad he couldn’t even make his own herb medicine to rival Dr. Tony Tony Chopper's brilliant herbal discoveries in the history of medicine?

 

He heaved the backpack over a shoulder and trudged down the metal staircase laid out in front of the plane's door, his boots thumping against the steps as he went.

 

Despite the summer heat drowning him in so much more heat than he was used to, dark grey clouds gathered overhead and the scent of an oncoming rain sizzled in the air.

 

There was no trolley to pick him up at the end of the staircase so he walked the rest of the way to the airport. He got his passport stamped at the reception desk and his visa sorted out.

 

By then the airport looked emptied out, save for two security guards conversing with each other, one ground air hostess tending the reception desk and an elderly couple making their way to the exit with creaky, shaking bones. The airport felt abandoned. It felt like he had stepped into a horror movie’s “Final Destination”.

 

This isn't Goa, though; it’s not his final destination, Law reminded himself. He still needed to find the metro station. He had been late to book a direct flight to Goa, so instead decided on a flight to Fuschia instead. The ticket was cheaper, of course, and not many passengers bothered him on the plane. The only downside was that he had to sit in a cramped, small seating space despite buying the business class one.

 

Law wandered to the airport entrance and looked around for some sign saying “taxi” or “metro train” or anything butchered in those forms because Fuschia apparently had a different kind of dialect in comparison with Goa. He spotted a car parked across the street with a taxi sign printed in large font on the car's body. A paper pasted on the window, however, had declared it as 'out for a nap'. But from Law's vantage point he could make out a dark shadow figure inside the car, the taxi driver perhaps was lying stretched out on the passenger seat.

 

“Excuse me,” Law knocked on the window of the car, but received no reaction except for a twitched nose. He knocked a little louder on the roof of the car. “Sir! Wake up!”

 

The knocking startled the man awake. The man shot Law an annoyed, hazy glare, squinting his eyes and then finally decided to roll down the window. “Yeah?” He asked gruffly, his voice still coated with sleep. "Can't you see the sign?" The taxi driver flicked a thumb to the direction of his sign. "I'm taking a nap. Go bother someone else."

 

“There is no one else in the parking lot. Why else would I bother you?"

 

The driver looked around casually, surprised. "Huh, you're right. Everyone is gone. Tough luck, man."

 

"Look, Mister, I'm in a hurry. I need to get to Goa city right now. Can you drive me directly to Goa city? I’m looking for a Doctor Hogback."

 

The driver scowled. "Yeah, just like everybody else in the city. What's new?"

 

Law realized the man had completely ignored his request, sighed and fumbled through his jacket for his wallet. "Fine. How much do you want? I'll pay for your services if you get me to Goa as soon as possible.”

 

“No can do.” The man shook his head. “Not today. There is a national holiday in Goa city. They’ve closed off the bridge that connects Fuschia with Goa. I can take you to Goa after two days. At the earliest.”

 

"I don't have time to wait for the holiday to pass over! Is there any other way?" Law did not bother to hide displeasure as he scowled. "What about the ferry? Are they still open for business?"

 

""I doubt it. Like I said, national holiday over there. Most of the folks had already headed out to the city first thing in the morning. So~~~ again, nope. You're stuck in Fuschia for two days," the man grinned. The curled half of his lip was both amused and mocking.

 

Just great. Stuck in Fuschia. Law itched to pull at his hair in frustration. Or punch the taxi driver for his smartass commentaries. Instead, he decided to wipe the sweat from rolling into his eyes. No use getting angry in this heat. He huffed, "So there's actually no way to make it to Goa today?"

 

"I hate repeating myself. I said no, didn't I? Unless you have your own charter plane, good luck with finding a proper landing space, heh."

 

"Fuck!"

 

"Indeed. Tell you what; you're new here, aren't you? I can take you to the nearest hotel to rest for today and then take you to Goa first thing in the morning. Though I can't guarantee you'd make it there without swimming over the canal. Lots of fishes in there. We have sea monsters too. Great swimming experience. You in for a swim, dude?"

 

"No." Law said flatly.

 

"Suit yourself," the driver shrugged, before smiling. "Anyway, welcome to Fuschia, stranger."

 

Law ignored him, shoving his wallet back into his jacket and looking around for a payphone, until he realized he still had his mobile phone switched off in his other pocket. Times like these made him itch to call home and complain about the unexpected variable in his well thought out plan. Lamie would understand, even if she'd just roll her eyes at him for being a drama queen. His parents would still coax him to come back home and take over their hospital, but that's not what Law wanted to do. He wanted to get out and explore the world. He wanted to offer his services to other people besides Flevance and Dressrosa. He wanted to discover new medicinal healings like Dr. Chopper. He couldn’t do those things if he'd remained stuck behind the shadow of his parents.

 

He had chosen Goa because it was one of the islands with cheaper airplane rates and living expenses were apparently quite average compared to big industrial islands like Water 7 or Dressrosa. The fact that Dr. Hogback has a clinic set up in the middle of the city where most of his studies was rumored to have been stored was just the icing of the cake.

 

Suddenly he felt really, really tired. There was a crick in his neck for sleeping awkwardly during his plane ride. His lower tail bone was sore from the hours of immobile sitting. His legs felt like they’d been stuck in tar. Was this as far as he could go? Maybe he should've stayed in Water 7 instead?

 

"Chin up, man. There's no need to look like that." Without Law realizing, the taxi driver had stepped out of his car and patted him on the shoulder. "You're in Fuschia! The greatest windmill city in Grand Line!"

 

"So?"

 

"You must be extremely hungry. That's why you look so glum. Come! I'll take you to the best restaurant in Fuschia Village!" The driver hooked an arm under one of Law's arm pit and proceeded to drag him to the car. Law protested weakly, "I don't want to! Leggo!"

 

But the thought about food had immediately made him obedient and he got into the car without complaint. If he was staying in Fuschia village for a while, he might as well start off with a full course meal to feed his mind for another plan instead.  

 

The taxi driver brought him to a small, wooden house. The name 'Party Bar' was engraved on the plate above the door opening. Three small round tables were set outside on the veranda. It was too early for a bar to open; but despite that, all three tables were filled with laughing locals, drinking large glasses of beer. The inside of the bar was spacious and could probably house 150 guests considering the many small round tables in the center and the rectangular ones against the walls, and of course, the long bar counter that stretched out from one side to the other of the room. Law counted at least ten people inside the bar, drinking beer, flinging peanuts in the air, while playing a round of cards, their cigarettes pinched between their teeth.

 

"Makino~~." The driver sing-songed as he waved at the lady tending the bar. "Good morning, Makino."

 

"Shanks, good day. You're in early." Makino stopped wiping the glasses and picked up a notepad. "Oh my, you've brought a friend along." Her eyes looked at Law with curiosity.

 

Shanks turned his gaze to Law and beckoned towards the bar counter as he took one of the stools. "Not exactly a friend, but I found him at the airport!"

 

"I'm not a pet." Law cut him off.

 

"The usual for me, dear, and as for the kid?" Shanks jabbed a thumb in Law's direction. "He's extremely hungry. He just got off a plane and can't take Fuschia weather well. Please tell me there is still food in the back."

 

Makino smiled. "Of course. I'll fix you something warm then. But first, what would you like to drink?"

 

"Just orange juice. The can ones please."

 

Shanks snorted. "Seriously? Just juice?"

 

"It's known for being energy boosters in summer heat, especially with a hint of honey."

 

"That's so boring. For me, it's all about Makino's beer. Any time, any day. May I also please order that Makino pasta dish? I'm so hungry, I can eat a cow."

 

Makino laughed and shook her head. "Unfortunately, I'm currently out of stock. I was planning to buy them later in the afternoon. I can get you something else then?"

 

Shanks' face fell as he raised his glass to his lips, before, "Surprise me, my dear."

 

"You flatter me too much." Makino picked out a thin folder from below the counter and placed it in front of Law, "Here is our menu for today. You can take your time choosing anything from the list except for the pasta, as I mentioned earlier."

 

While Law looked over the options in the menu, Makino poured out a large beer for Shanks, grabbed can of ice cold orange from the fridge for Law. Shanks and Makino made idle talk about the business with oncoming tourist season and strangely enough, recurring disappearances of several people in the outer Goa city, politics in Goa Kingdom at the moment. Apparently things weren't going too well in Goa's politics, the factions were split up on how to govern the prestigious kingdom, alongside the many districts, including Fuschia village.

 

Law wasn't too well informed about the situation in that area, so he tuned them out as he flipped through the menu back and forth to decide on something to eat. He decided on the Fuschia Steak special and fried spring rolls as a side dish. Makino scribbled their orders, ordered Shanks to man the counter while she headed off to the back where supposedly the kitchen was built.

 

"So, kid, where are you from?" Shanks asked as he thumped his glass on the counter and curled a hand against his cheek as he looked at Law.

 

"Dressrosa." Well, technically Flevance, but Shanks didn't have to know that.

 

"Wow, that's a really big city there. And you’re thinking about moving over to Goa, aren't you?"

 

"Hmmm."  

 

"You a doctor?"

 

"Technically, yes." Law narrowed his eyes at Shanks. He'd never told the man his occupation. "How did you know?"

 

Shanks shrugged. "You give off that look. That ‘argghh I'm a doc’ look."

 

"No such thing."

 

Shanks laughed. "All right, you got me. I saw a flash of your business card when you pulled out your wallet. And you're looking for Dr. Hogback, that old crickety creep."

 

"He's a well-respected doctor."

 

"Maybe," Shanks sipped his beer glass again. "He might have been an amazing doctor with revolutionary ideas. Thirty years. But--I don't know how to say this--but everyone here in Fuschia knows he's turned out to be a creep. Always talking about stitching corpses and making zombies out of them." Shanks shuddered.

 

"He's studying to find a cure for death."

 

"Which is impossible." Shanks shot back. "Messing with that stuff is bad news, kid. Take it from me."

 

"Why should I even listen to you?"  

 

"You're right. Why would you even listen to me? I'm just some guy anyway." Shanks picked up his drink and downed the rest of the content. It became awkward after that and Shanks didn't bother to pull Law in a conversation as he shifted on his stool to watch the table nearby where four men were busy playing black jack and cursing each other.

 

When Makino finally brought his order, Law realized the gurgling of hunger pains in his stomach.

 

"Here you go, Fuschia special with my secret sauce. I hope you like it. Enjoy!"

 

The Fuschia special consisted of barbequed sea monster steak, a pile of curly fries, some broccoli and cauliflower salad and garlic pepper sauce for dipping. Law thanked Makino for the food and picked up the offered utensils. He started the task of cutting the steak in bite size pieces and did the same for the curly fries.

 

"Ara, they are about the same sizes. How cute." Makino remarked in amusement before Shanks waved her over to have another discussion about his latest conquests--a tale about his trip to Mermaid Cove, a trip to Skypiea or some other obscure island around the world. Shanks was a natural storyteller. Law could tell in the way he choose his words carefully, stringing his certain sentences that enraptured his audience. Some of his phrasings already point out that Shanks had definitely been all over the world before taking up a job in the wayback of Fuschia village.

 

Law had tuned him out almost immediately, preferring to focus on eating his food after he had finished cutting them into same size bits. The flavors that burst out as soon as he bit into the meat made him think of home, of a time he used to eat mom's cooking. When he's almost half way done with his steak, a shrill cry outside the Party Bar jarred the leisure atmosphere into a halt.

  
  
  


* * *

 

  
  


The loud cursing at the card table had stopped almost immediately and the patrons dropped their cards, all of them rushing out of the Party Bar to see what's going on. Shanks also stopped eating and pushed himself off the stool to join the crowd. Even Makino rounded the bar counter to follow him, her face stricken with worry.

 

"Oh god, what happened? Is he still alive?"

 

"He just won't stop bleeding. What should I do?"

 

"Call the doc to fly him over to the Goa General Hospital."

 

"But it might take hours to get them here. Today's a national holiday over there. There's no way they're going to send out a chopper for someone who can't pay."

 

"Dammit! Why did it have to be today? The bridge is up, isn't it? Stupid rich people."

 

"Please help my child! He's going to die! I don't want to lose him too."

 

Feeling a little awkward for eating during this apparently big crisis, Law put down his fork and wiped his mouth with a napkin before heading outside as well. All he could make out was crowd had formed in the middle of the road, murmuring and shifting uncomfortably. Someone was smart enough to grab a large parasol to shield the victim. Several people screaming for help and the rest of them making pitying conversations with each other. Law remained silent as he watched the heads of people in the center moving around, letting the conversations flow around him.

 

Three housewives beside him were murmuring in low tones while they clutched their grocery bags close to their hips, mirroring each others' frowns.

 

"I heard he was bleeding two pints of blood by now."

 

"Oh dear. How did he get hurt?"

 

"A fight with the bears in the mountains? You know how youngsters are these days. Always trying to prove themselves for no reason. Tsk."

 

"Where are his friends? How could they leave him in the mountain?"

 

"I don't know. I heard they disappeared three days ago."

 

"Oh dear. Do you know whose son...?"

 

"It's Bianca's son."

 

"Oh god, no!"

 

"Her son came back bleeding just now. It's awful! There's blood everywhere."

 

"How did he-?"

 

"Nobody knows. Lately there has been lots of these incidents going on, people coming back and bleeding all over the road before they die. He might have been in an accident, but there's no way it's an accident, those carvings on his skin speak much for themselves."

 

Law couldn't help but cut in. "And this has been happening for a while and no one bothered to contact the police?"

 

The women looked surprised at him, their mouths moving but no sound came out, until one of them stuttered a vehement response. "We tried, but they couldn't find anything."

 

Law was about to press further for information when Shanks pushed through the crowd and snatched his wrist. "Thank goodness you're stuck here! Come on, kid!"

 

"Wait!" Law didn't have time to protest when Shanks yanked him into the crowd, pushing through other citizens and finally led Law to the center of the crowd. "Coming through, sorry people, coming through. Urghh, ow, sorry, my bad. Hey, gloomy kid! You're a doc, right?"

 

"Well, yeah, but-" I don't have the qualification to work independently just yet. His words died in his throat at the sight in front of him.

 

"Ma'am. Don't worry," Shanks gave her a reassuring smile and tugged Law closer. "This fella here is a doctor."

 

A woman kneeling on the road, her eyes puffy from crying too much, tears streaking down her smudged face. Her dress was splattered with red and mud marks covered her knees. In her arms laid her son's frail body, his eyes wide open and his breath coming out short and quick, gasping in shock.

 

"I don't know if I can help, but I'll do my best." Law didn't wait for permission to see her son as he kneeled beside them and gave the boy a quick once over. "Sorry, but can you give us some room? I can't move with all you people breathing down my neck."

 

Shanks rallied the crowd to move back a bit. "All right, what else do you want us to do?"

 

Yellowed leaves and twigs still stuck in the boy's unkempt hair and his ribs showing through the skin. A trail of blood leaked out from his wrist and the odd markings on his naked chest. Dehydration from the looks of white flakes on his lips. Most possibly undernourishment, considering the gaunt face and the ribs and the thin arms for such a kid whose mother looks twice his size and very healthy. The boy was in shock. Possible bleeding inside with all those bruises across his skin.

 

Law stated, "It doesn't look too good for him." The chance that the child would survive this was very, very slim.

 

A choked sob escaped the mother's throat.

 

"He needs to see a doctor as soon as possible. Possibly a surgeon. He can't stay here, though. This whole area is too dirty to operate on him." Law quickly flicked a commanding hand over to Shanks. "We need a sterile room and a stretcher to move the boy. Does anyone have ice? And a thick blanket. And hot water."

 

"We have the old doc’s clinic down the street!" One of the townsmen pointed out.

 

"His clinic will do." Law cut them off before they could continue yammering about a doctor that wasn't there. "I'm sure there's an operating table inside. Where is it?"

 

"We don't have the keys!"

 

"Then just break into it!" Shanks snapped.

 

"No! Why are you asking me to do such a thing?"

 

"But that's just-"

 

Law took off his jacket, balled it and pressed it on the wounded chest. "Does anyone here have some medical experience? Like a nurse or assistant?"

 

One shaking hand was raised. "Nurse in training. I haven't started interning yet. But I will be, after this weekend." The guy squeaked.

 

Law gave him a quick glance before snappily beckoning him to take the kid's other side. "Come along. You seem strong enough. Does anyone have a stretcher? A sail will do as well. We need to move the boy off the road."

 

* * *

 

 

Law slumped against the short steps staircase of the old doc clinic, with his shoulders leaning against the baluster and closed his stinging eyes for a short rest. Today had been exhausting. First the long flight from his hometown to Fuschia, then the frustration of not being able to make it to Goa and then an impromptu surgery that took hours. His legs felt ready to fall off for standing too long.  

 

"Here, kid. Catch!"

 

Law peeled open his eyes just in time to see Shanks throw something at his head. Out of reflex, Law snatched it before it could connect between his eyes. It was a can of orange juice, the same brand he had had earlier at Party Bar.

 

"Thanks." Law muttered as he righted the can and set it beside him. He'd drink it later, after counting to ten in case the beverage would spurt out of the can.

 

Shanks lowered himself to sit on the staircase as well, one hand on the railing and the other curled around a can of imported beer. "You did well, kid. He's made it to Goa General Hospital in one piece."

 

Law grimaced, his fists clenching and unclenching. "Is he going to make it?"

 

"The other doc thinks he might. But for now, he's under observation."

 

"That's good to hear."

 

"Yeah. You did your best."

 

"Thanks... I guess." Law picked up the orange can and pushed himself off the staircase, staring at the night sky.

 

"If you need a place to stay, you can bum over at mine."

 

"No thanks. I'll just book a hotel or guesthouse."

 

"You sure? My place is free of costs. Comes with a soft sofa bed and three meals a day."

 

"The very idea of sleeping over at your place disturbs me."

 

"Rude." Shanks muttered and focused on consuming his beer instead. "Anyway, Party Bar is still open for business. You haven't eaten anything right? Makino said she's going whip you up something warm when you come over."

 

"Thank you."

 

"There's a small guest house across Party Bar. I'm sure they would be glad to accommodate you at the last minute."

 

"You're awfully nice right now." Law shifted suspicious gaze to Shanks's face. "What are you after?"

 

"Okay, you got me." Shanks ran a hand through his red shaggy hair and fixed his sharp eyes on Law. "The position has been open for a while now since the old doc retired. Why don't you become Fuschia's doctor instead of heading off to Goa? Goa has enough medics there but here in Fuschia? We have none, except for some nurses."

 

"What are you saying? You offering me a job?"

 

"Pretty much."

 

Law scoffed. "And you think the mayor or the rest of the town would agree just like that?"

 

"Of course they will. They've seen you work today, didn't they?" Shanks smirked. "As a Fuschia doctor you inherit this whole building including the living area above, a flat fare every time you travel to Goa and back to Fuschia, free vegetables and free sea breeze. And a legion of lovely ladies cuz all they could talk about was how your white coat fit your shoulders and your height. So? Interested?"

 

Law stared at Shanks and then his can of orange juice. "I'm going to regret coming here."

 

"No, you won't." Shanks grinned. "You don't have to answer immediately though. You have until two days to make your choice known."

 

"You're talking as if I'll readily agree with your idea."

 

"Well? Aren't you? Interested in this position, I mean?"

 

"We'll see."

 

"Great! Now come on. Makino offered to make some lunch for you."

 

* * *

 

 

He caved in the end.

 

Once the official papers were settled with both the mayor and the labor party union, Law was allowed to work as a general house doctor. But in order to be recognized as a legitimate doctor for the small town, he was expected to turn to Goa for further schooling and certification.

 

It’s been almost a week since he settled down in Fuschia village. The house he rented used to belong to the previous doctor, who recently retired due to old age and had moved away to live with his daughter in Goa.

 

The house was a two-storeyed building made out of dark, sturdy wood; the first floor being the clinic and check up space and the top floor being a private living area. Because it already used to belong to a fellow-practitioner, Law only needed to change a few things to his liking about the interior. The reception desk where a wall and a square window used to separate the visitor and doctor’s office was taken out, leaving the waiting room wide open for everyone to see, except when the door to the office/operation room was shut. The cotton window shades mottled brown and yellow due to its long usage and age was replaced with practical roller shades decorated with oil bamboo painted.

 

The walls that used to have children’s drawings pinned all over the place were cleared away. A large green pegboard in the center of the room was now the place where the drawings were pinned up, along with doctor’s announcements and flyers introducing how to perform First Aid, urging people to get regular medical check-ups and required identifications for the back office records. And the newest addition, Law's working hours, business number and forms of payments.   

 

For the second floor, Law had planned a complete makeover. Finally, he had space to decorate and fix to his liking without the nagging suggestions by third parties like his parents, his teachers, his roommates, and so on.

 

The space was smaller than the room Law once had back in Dressrosa but he wasn’t complaining. It once housed a family of four before him, so there was technically enough space for one person. The walls that separated the three bedrooms were taken down to create a bigger living room/bedroom space. The floorboards would be replaced with sleek and darker wooden replacements to bring out the warmth of an actual home. The electrical circuits would be updated to a higher voltage in order to accommodate his lab and electronic equipment in both the operation room and his private quarters.

 

While contractors worked on his living space, Law had turned the backroom of the clinic into a temporary bedroom. Shanks had given him a ratty old but comfortable sofa which Law could fold out into an actual flat bed. Unfortunately the sofa was a bit too small, leaving his longer legs to stick out of the end whenever Law decided to lie down spread-eagled.

 

The clinic wasn't open yet though, and yet several townspeople, mostly the elderly, seemed to not care about that. They often came knocking on his door to ask for advice or prescriptions and sometimes made airy conversations with him, fishing for information about his life before moving to Fuschia. All of which he deflected with vague answers and different topics.  

 

Shanks came over sometimes when he wasn’t busy bumming in his car or flirting with Makino. They often end up drinking together on the porch, stretched out on the waiting chairs while talking about Fuschia in general, or more like Shanks filling him in on the going-ons in town.

 

“How are you liking Fuschia so far?”

 

“It’s okay. Very quiet. Is it always like this?” Law swatted at the mosquito on his calf and grimaced when a thin trail of blood streaked across both his hand and his leg. He wiped the blood off with two sweeps of his palm.

 

“Yeah. Very relaxed. Nobody is rushing you.”

 

“How long have you lived here?”

 

“Me? Not long. Only two months.”

 

Law scoffed, picking up his beer from beside him. “I don’t believe you. Only two months and everyone trusts you?”

 

“I’m not a resident if that’s what you mean. Fuschia is just one of the few towns that I find myself coming back to on my journey.”

 

“Journey huh?” Law stopped to take a swig from his beer. “You’ve been travelling since your teens, right?”

 

“You’ve been listening!” Shanks curled a finger to his right eye, fake-sobbed. “I’m so proud.”

 

“Knock it off, old man,” Law said with disgust. “So you’re a returning tourist? What do you do for a living then?”

 

“Picking on gloomy kids.” Shanks said with a straight face, before bursting out in obnoxious snort-laughing when he saw Law’s unimpressed reaction. “I was just joking.You seriously believed me?  And no, I’m not exactly a taxi driver. It’s just a part time thing I pick up whenever I’m here. I’m actually a freelancer.”

 

“Freelancer. A journalist of sort?”

 

“... Yeah, sort of.” Shanks turned away from looking at Law’s profile, and stared at the sky, “I’m actually doing an article on the random disappearances that have been happening lately.”

 

“Any clue where they are?”

 

“No clue at all. The police are surprisingly tightlipped about this case.”

 

“Human traffickers got them?”

 

“Who knows. Or maybe these people were eloping? Maybe there’s some secret organization cult going on and they all need to do some moon dancing?” Shanks shrugged. “The investigation is still on-going though. Rumor has it someone is trying to keep everything under wraps.”

 

“Really?”

 

“More like, they took away my proposal and forbid me to write about it. And now I’m out of work again.”

 

“I see.” Law paused, trying to come up with words of comfort. But he’s not exactly the right person to ask for that. “There’s always your taxi service.”

 

Shanks laughed and down the rest of his beer in one long swig, before putting the empty bottle down. “Nah, I think I’ll just go back to my backpacking adventure. Gotta bring back more tales from faraway lands to Makino.”

 

“You plan on leaving town without taking her along?”

 

“Makino understands. It’s not the first time I’d done this.”

 

“I don’t know what she sees in you.”

 

“A ruggedly, handsome man with a gentlemanly heart.”

 

“Disgusting. Do you say that to all the pretty girls you meet around the world?” Law snorted.

 

“... maybe.”

 

Law rolled his eyes. “So. When are you leaving?”

 

“Friday.”

 

“Ah, that’s two days from now on.”

 

“Yep. Gonna miss you, kid.”

 

“I won’t.”

 

“Ouch. I’m hurt.”

 

“Too bad.”

 

* * *

 

 

Rain season approached.

 

Grey clouds had remained clustered above the town for days, throwing a thick veil over it to hide the sun. The weather forecast was determined by observing the behavior of the animals in the woods--something that had no foundation in this day of reasoning and logic, but still practised on an everyday basis in this small town. Swallows had made downward sweeps several times in the harbor; fishermen immediately were on guard, quickly drawing their fishing nets from the sea and sounding the alarm for oncoming storm.

 

Rain water filled the overgrown grass ditches, spilling over their borders and flooding over the uneven roads. They collected in the dips and cracks of the loose sands, turning most of the walkable paths into muddy, slippery puddles.

 

Law had the windows lowered to a crack, allowing fresh air and a wet breeze into the clinic. With the rain shower relentlessly pelting down from the sky, the room became hot and stuffy with the air circulation trapped in one space. He had the ventilators turned on in the clinic in an attempt to get some cool wind circulating.

 

The clinic was unusually empty, compared to yesterday when patients flocked the waiting room to gossip and pull him into their conversation.

 

From the corner of his eyes, something wispy flitted past. Something bright. Something orange. The image was gone when Law turned to study the direction where he thought it had appeared.

 

There was laughter. A cheery laughter that filled the room in stark contrast to the pitter patter gloomy sound of the rainwater against the window glass.

 

There are children outside, Law realized as he narrowed his eyes, peering through the curtain of rain. The child was jumping in puddles, holding a large green leaf above his head to server as an umbrella, laughing loud as his voice reverberated through Law’s bones.

 

Law pushed open the window, and stuck his head out to call the giggling children passing by. “Hey! Get out of the rain! Didn’t your parents tell you not to go outside?”

 

What he had first thought to be a gaggle of three or four children running underneath his window, turned out to be only one child, holding three large banana leaves up right like poor excuse of umbrellas losing their pokes.

 

The child appeared to be still in his teens, around fifteen or sixteen. His twinkling eyes were round in surprise and the smile had frozen on his lips before shifting down into a confused mouth hanging gape. Law only realized later that he didn’t recognize this child. Fuschia might only have about a thousand of people living here, with only a handful of children below nineteen passing his clinic at times, so Law was pretty sure he had memorized every child in town.

 

But at that moment, his mind was focused in a doctor-mood haze and took upon his responsible adult behavior to look out for people deliberately getting themselves sick for no reason.

 

“Come inside before you get sick.”

 

"You can see me?" The child asked softly.

 

Wet drops of water splattered in his face. Law frowned, his mouth downturned as he beckoned the child impatiently. "Come on! I don't have all day."

 

For a moment the child looked left and right before facing Law.

 

"You can actually see me?"

 

"No, I'm actually talking to those banana leaves, of course I can't see you." Law shot back impatiently. "You're the only one stupid enough to walk around in this weather. Who are your parents? I'll have to call them to pick you up."

 

The child's eyes widened, and shook his head quickly. His face ashen white like a corpse before the child turned on his heel and ran away, into the midst of the night and disappeared from sight.

 

“Wait-” Without realizing, Law had reached forward to stop the child from running off again. Law’s fingers ended up scraping the bark of the tree that stood outside the window, grazing the twigs, wayward long leaves and unwelcome parasyte plants-

 

“Ow!” Law hissed.

 

Law eyed the scabs on his palm, thinned his lips in annoyance and berated himself for being careless with his hands. Even though he’s a village doctor, his foremost practice was surgery. These hands of his were supposed to stay in topmost shape. He reached at the bottom drawer of the salon table and picked out the  first aid kit he had stored within.

 

It continued to rain for over several weeks. The puddles growing larger on the street practically merged into one with the gutters. From the corner of his eye Law kept seeing a figure jump out of sight, into the bushes or behind the car or a tree. At first, Law thought it was just his eyes playing tricks on him. He hadn't had enough sleep these days anyway. But then his mind tried to reason that he had, in fact, seen the ghost spirit sorts; a phenomena that goes against what he'd always learned as a scientist.

  
  
  


The following night Law spotted a child behind the bushes. Law had put the laundry out to dry that afternoon and only got around to remember getting them off the washing line. From his vantage point on the balcony, Law saw a huddled silhouette rustling the flower bushes along the sidewalk. Peering closer Law could make out it’s the same child from the previous day. He was laughing and patting the buds and the leaves. Just playing by himself.

 

“Hey!” Law called out.

 

The child jumped, snatching his hand away from the bushes to look up at him for one moment and quickly scurried away into the deep night, swallowed by the shadows.

 

The third time Law spotted the child sitting in the mahogany tree, kicking his legs back and forth, staring at Law’s house. Law had not realized it until he glanced out of the window and nearly dropped the orange carry-on bag on the floor.

 

Lamie who had followed Law up to the second floor, complaining about the awful weather, “You lied, this place is just wet! Nothing amazing about it!”, and yammered about her matted hair and the ruined boots. When Law abruptly stopped at the window, she walked right into his back and crashed her forehead against his spine.

 

“Ow! Why did you stop in the hallway for?” Lamie grumbled, grimacing as she rubbed the sore spots on her forehead and her nose.

 

“Sorry. I just saw something outside.” Law said absently. The child had stood up and jumped to the tree across the street.

 

Lamie peered around his hip to look out of the window. “What is it? Is it a stray?”

 

“He’s gone now.” Law said, with a free hand he drew the window shades closed, and picked up the handle of his sister’s carry-on bag again to drag it to rest beside the couch in the center of the room.

 

“Oh, I hope it finds shelter soon. This is some really bad weather. Anyway, what’s for dinner, brother?” Lamie threw her backpack next to it and quickly plopped down into the couch, bouncing a little on the springs and then lowered herself to sprawl bonelessly across the furniture.

 

“Pumpkin stew maybe.”

 

Lamie grimaced, drawing out a whine. “Eeeeewwww.”

 

“You should’ve called beforehand. Then I’d have time to stock up the fridge.”

 

“Then this wouldn’t have been a surprise visit at all.” Lamie grinned and gathered herself up to pat the space beside her, indicating that Law should take a seat. Which he obeyed without complaint. Once Law had made himself comfortable, Lamie threw herself across his lap.

 

“Did mother really send you off?” He asked suspiciously.

 

“Yep.”

 

“On your own?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“And dad agreed to this?”

 

“Yes! Now stop being fuzzy.”

 

“I can’t help it. You’re still so young.”

 

“I’m seventeen! I can handle a short trip on my own.”

 

“Lamie.”

 

Lamie pulled away from him, and finally took her time to look around. Law hadn’t done much decorating since the contractor finished with rebuilding the interior of the living room. He’d only dragged Shanks’ old couch to the center of his new living-room, bought a new TV and he was in the process of building his bookshelf against the walls of his whole living-room.

 

“Nice place, bro. Now where’s your guest room? I’d like to get a change of clothes.”

 

“I’ve none. You can take my bed though. I’ll sleep on the couch then.”

 

* * *

  
  


Law's family consisted of four people: his parents, himself and his sister Lamie. His parents were both doctors. Since they’re always so busy at hospital, he spent most of his childhood looking after his sister, helping her out with homework and teaching her how to kick boys where it hurt the most. Maybe because he had spent his time with his sister so much, they’ve become so close that Lamie took his moving out of the family house a  little harder than most siblings (she cried a lot and begged him to write and call her every day). It’s been almost seven years or so since he’d left and now Lamie showed signs of becoming an independent and headstrong woman, if not, a worry wart as well.  

 

She caught him staring out of the balcony doors. He had been so occupied about the child he forgot he had his family over for a short week.

 

“Don’t look so serious, brother! You’re going to scare off the ladies.” Lamie admonished as she clucked her tongue at him, went on her tiptoes and pulled his cheeks wide in an attempt to force his lips in a smile. “Smile, brother, smile more. Or you won’t ever find yourself a wife.”

 

“This is my face.” Law grumbled and swatted his sister’s hands away. “I don’t need a wife. I can take care of myself.”

 

Lamie looked like she didn’t believe him, instead she pulled out her phone and took several pictures of his face. “Sending to mom and dad. Cuz you never bothered. You’re lucky you look handsome otherwise it’d be difficult to find you a potential girlfriend.”

 

“Lamie.” He sighed. “I’m not interested in girls right now.”

 

Lamie gave him a long contemplative look, before reaching out to pinch his arm. “Why didn’t you say so in the first place? I’d introduce you some hot guys instead.”

 

“Not interested in a relationship right now.” Law said through gritted teeth.

 

Lamie pursed her lips, pouting. “All right. So what are you looking for in a relationship?”

 

“Nothing. I’m more concerned about getting a residency here than a relationship with anyone in the first place.”

 

“Were you ever in a relationship, brother?”

 

“Once, a few times maybe. But nothing serious came out of it, we grew apart and--wait, why am I even talking about my love life with you? You’re still too young for this talk. Are there still guys chasing you around trying to pull your hair? Do you need me to punch a few groins?”

 

“Pffft.” Lamie waved his concerns away. “I can take care of myself. You, however, need some taking care of, unless...” Lamie’s eyes were round when she finally realized something significant.

 

“What?” Law was afraid to ask.

 

“Hmmm, I guess I realize you might as well be asexual instead. It makes sense though.”

 

“Oh my god, Lamie! Stop.” Law huffed, dragging a palm across his face in resignation, “Go change, you’re ruining the floorboards.”

 

The next few days when he had the time off, he had been taking Lamie around in town and then to Goa’s shopping district. Lamie complained about the rain that had persisted the whole week she had stayed over, but quickly forgot about the bad weather when Law bought her a cute pair rain boots and a matching umbrella and some other cute things she squealed over.

 

Law completely forgot about the rain child until he had sent Lamie off at the airport and caught the child sprinting from behind a car to the trees that lined alongside the road.  He didn’t call out to the child, though, instead Law focused on getting home as soon as possible. He hailed a cab to get home and ran the short distance between the street and his house, still completely wet and muddied at the trousers. Law was at the door, taking off his rain coat when he spotted the child peering around the tree bark, studying him with wide eyes.

 

“Do you want to come inside?” Law had called out to him and waved him over. The child ignored the beckoning hand and climbed a little higher in the tree before jumping off the branch to land on another one across the street. quite a distant jump achievement. Shrugging to himself, Law stepped into the clinic, thumped his mud-covered booths at the entrance before kicking them off and walked bare-footed to a nearby cupboard to retrieve a thick, fluffy towel. He took off his sopping wet clothes until he’s only in his underwear, kicked the clothes near his boots and started drying his wet hair. He finally realized he was giving everyone outside a free show, grumbled to himself as he wrapped the towel around his waist and closed the door of the clinic behind him, locking it with a double click. He then made his way to the stairs that led to his private quarters at the back of the clinic, his toes curling at the cold floor and ran up to flick on the heater.

  
  


After three more nights of popping everywhere nearby the clinic before brushing off Law’s invitation to get in, the child finally braved to sit closer where he had a quick view of Law’s personal home. On the balcony ledge.

 

Law pried open the window nearest to the child, sighed.

“Are you going to stay out there and creep at the windows? Just come on in.”

 

The child flailed and kicked at the same time, dropped himself off the balcony in surprise.

  
  
  


“You know, you can come in any time you want.” Law said, after he spotted the child hiding behind his potted plants again. Law resisted the urge to step closer in order to see the child better. The many times he had tried to get closer the child had been startled, jumping away, out of reach, out of sight. Now he knew better to scare off the strange child.

 

The only time he would ever be able to get the child to trust him is to wait. Wait till he took the first steps towards Law himself. He could see the child’s eyes staring at him from the shadows. The unnatural large eye whites and the catlike, green glimmer in the shadows.

 

“I’ve some lemonade inside.” Law was not trying to coax the child into safety. Nope, he was not some scary person who was luring a child into his home. Not at all.  “If you want, I’ll bring you a glass. There's also pizza.”

 

He received no answer as the child blinked a few times before turning his attention away, watching the rain drizzle expand in the seas.

  
  


Then Law felt the unmistakable cold shiver down his arm and the door of his balcony slammed open to let the child in. Law didn't immediately turn around to face the child, he resisted it, because sudden movements might just scare him away, but then he slowly threw a casual glance of his shoulder.

 

"So, you've decided to join me?"

 

The child smiled shyly at him.

 

Law made it a habit to leave the doors to his balcony unlocked, to allow the child access into his home.

 

Law promised him food and drinks. So the child would come in to sit and devour Law’s offerings before jumping out into the night again, leaving a wet trail along Law’s floor.

 

And it's only after his first three attempts did the child relax and wander into Law's house as if it's his own. He would peer into Law’s rooms, poked at the couch and touch the books stacked on top of the kitchen island.

 

“Thank you.” the child had said quietly once.

 

And Law had frozen to stare at the child. This was the first time the child ever spoke aloud. It never even occurred to him that the child could speak at all.

 

The child wasn't exactly a child. Law realized. He called himself Monkey Luffy though. A name the child had once carried, he said. Luffy’s face suddenly looked ancient.  

 

“Something happened. I forgot what, and now I’m stuck here.” Luffy explained as he stuffed his mouth with ice cream puffs.

 

“There is-.” Law paused when the large eyes gazed at him blankly, like a predator assessing his prey. Law ignored the rising chill in his gut, instead, he pointed to his cheek. “You’ve got something there.”

 

Luffy’s eyes followed Law’s pointed finger, uncomprehending, his eyes snapped awake from being dangerous. Being both impatient and still helpful himself, Law reached forward and brushed the sugar dust off the child’s cheek. The skin was cool, wet and sticky.

 

… like a frog.

 

Or a snake.

 

Luffy wasn’t exactly a spirit. Or a ghost. But he was an entity that didn’t fit in the human realm.

  
  


"I've been alone for so long." Luffy said glumly. "Nobody wanted to play with me. Nobody saw me."

 

"I'm here."

 

"Law, you're really a nice person."

 

"I'm not nice. Well, not always."

 

"But you are, you are really gentle. You even gave me food when no one would."

 

"I can't let you go hungry."

 

"I'm not hungry."

 

"You still need sustenance somehow, right?"

 

"... right."

 

"So what is it? This is the first time you held a long conversation with me. I'm glad." Law quirked his lips in a half smile.

 

Luffy inhaled sharply at the sight. "I'm sorry." He leaned away from Law. "It's best that you lock your house. I'm a monster, remember?"

 

"No, you're not. Let me-." Law stopped and finally realized what's been nagging on his mind. He shifted closer to Luffy, surged forward to press his lips against the child's forehead and tugged the thin figure to his chest in a tight hug. Something he used to do with Lamie when she had cling on him and asked him not to leave her. It’s the only comforting gesture Law knew. The coldness of the child seeped right into his clothes.

 

"You're freezing." Law muttered.

 

"I'm the rain, Law. I'm supposed to be cold."  

 

* * *

 

 

Then one day, Law disappeared.

  
  



	3. Part II - Death Force

The Afterlife works with a system that divides their work force, conveniently named Death Force, into four categories: the Escort, the Front line, the Support line and the Trainer. The largest category is the Escort because their work covers huge responsibilities over the whole Living population; the Escort is expected to reap the dead, sever the ties between soul and human, escort the new soul on the road to the Afterlife, and subtly erase living memories before handing the soul safely at the Gate of Justice where the Support line will take over.

 

The Support works mostly as back office for the Afterlife. They handle the reports, the tests, the missions reports, anything administration-related. Compared to the Escort's relative peaceful job description, the Front line is tasked with bringing in the vengeful spirits and basically keeping the world from tipping over due to an unexplained amount of deaths. And at last, the Trainer category; they handle the academics of newly joined recruits, teaching them basics of their future jobs and making them learn a smidgen of seal and exorcism techniques.

 

Before Law officially became Death, category Escort, he went through a general test first and then physical training before being put to work as staff member for the Death Resource Management Division (DRMD). There he had been tasked to work as Support line for the Supernatural Division (SD), the section in the Afterlife system that handles cases of souls that stayed too long in the Mortal Plane and, for whatever reasons, turned into vengeful spirits.

 

Law hadn't worked in the front lines of the SD where danger was part of the job description, like scouting the Living, where imbalances of the dead popped up at odd times. Usually, that would involve exorcising the vengeful spirits before bringing them into the Afterlife to be destroyed.  

 

Instead, collecting reports from the officers in the SD was one of Law’s required tasks, as well as keeping tabs on them during exorcism missions, sending them backup in case the situation called forth, and gathering information on oddities recorded in the problematic areas.

 

Law could have asked for a position in the front line considering his high scores during the aptitude tests. Were it not for his poor test result during the interview with the DRMD's assistants, he might have been able to join the exorcism missions on his first day as Death, category Front line. The fact that there were huge holes in his memories before he decided to join the Death workforce had formed the basis of his poor results.

 

Nevertheless, he took his job as Support line without complaint and did his best to keep the Front line officers of his team out of unnecessary danger. Most of the reports about their missions that passed through his hands had given Law at least some idea just how much of danger the Front line is exposed to. Reasoning with vengeful spirits required a lot of patience, a lot of time, and a lot of effort. But once past reason, when these spirits retaliate by actively mingling with the Living, the encounters often lead to battling, followed by the use of force in which the Front line attempt to rip the spirits out of the Mortal plane and drag them into the Afterlife.

 

It was because he was part of the administrative force that Law had access to many reports, including one detailed mission that had his name on it, in large blocky font.

 

But then a position of a Death Escort opened and Law was chosen to fill in. He hadn't been able to finish reading through the report past page 3, where it stated that one Trafalgar D. Water Law had turned.

 

* * *

 

 

It was not Law's place to dissuade Luffy from joining the ranks of the Death Force. Death should remain an impartial being in this case, a silent spectator in the middle of a story where a plot twist unfolds.

 

Having Luffy in the Force might not have been such a good idea, though. Not only because Luffy had a nasty habit of doing and saying whatever he wanted, but also because the idea of Luffy working in the same line of work as him already gave him a headache. How much longer would Law be expected to endure Luffy's ignorance?

 

The official procedure for Luffy to get into the Death Force program was to contact the Support line at the Gate, take the test, and get in through an interview. But since Luffy refused to complete his walk down the Bridge of Hesitance, negating all his chances for a new life, Luffy needed to take a different path.

 

One that Law was unwilling to share right away.

 

"Come on, Mr. Furry."

 

"No."

 

"Will you help me?"

 

"Absolutely not. Forget it."

 

After another vehement "No!", Luffy huffed, pouting, and looked around for other options. He broke into a run to his right, searching for some kind of exit, but after a moment he came back to Law on his left side.

 

"Wait? How come you're here this fast?" Luffy frowned.

 

"I haven't moved from this spot since you ran off." Law crossed his arms as he looked down at Luffy levelly.

 

"What? That can't be right! I ran as fast as I could."

 

"This place is looped whichever way you go. Even if you choose the other way, you'll still end up coming back this way."

 

"Then how am I supposed to become Death when I'm stuck in here?"

 

"Why do you want to become Death so much? Death means you're going to watch everyone you love walk past this road and forget you forever. Isn't it better that you grieve over your loss in this lifetime and forget the pain in the next?"

 

"That's not for you to decide which one is better for me."

 

Law snapped his mouth shut when the urge to argue surfaced in the back of his throat. He got way out of line. Which was unusual considering his actual aloof persona to begin with. Luffy had a point, though. "You're absolutely right. It's not."

 

"Gonna help me get out of this loop then?"

 

"Fine. The official route is through the Gate where you meet the Support line and do a test."

 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you said that already."

 

"There's another way you can try." Law paused, beginning to regret having opened his mouth to speak with this soul.

 

"And?"

 

"It's to meet the director of the Death Resources or meet the vice commander of the Afterlife." Law grimaced. "It's actually not something that’s encouraged, though."

 

"Why? Isn't it easier to go right to the big boss?"

 

"I need permission from the vice commander in order to meet Old Pops."

 

"Okay~ Let's go meet him. Is he hiding somewhere behind the Gate?"

 

"No," Law said grimly. He pointed above. "We need to go up."

 

"Cool!" Luffy grinned and waited, his eyes squinting at Law.

 

"What are you doing?"

 

"Aren't you going to sprout wings and fly us up there?"

 

"There's a perfectly functioning elevator that can get us faster there.”

 

"Whaat? Seriously?" Luffy stared at the small door that suddenly reappeared before him, clearly impressed. "So, no wings?" His grabby hands roamed behind Law's back without warning, pulling, tugging and tickling.

 

Law jumped at the inquisitive hands, "Luffy!" He slapped the hands away that tried to feel his back for protruding feathers. "I have wings. They're not functional in this place. Like many of my other skills are."

 

"Bummer. Can you pop them out like a butterfly then?"

 

"I have wings that are for other purposes than just flying around looking for food." Law bit out grudgingly.

 

"Oh. Then once we're out of this realm, can I see them? I've always wondered if Death can fly."

 

Law gave up, dropping his head in his hand. "All right, all right. Now get on. I'm on a tight schedule. Your dawdling here is giving me enough trouble as it is." He shooed Luffy to get into the elevator, following him right after. He's not paid to deal with these annoyances. The ride to the top only took less than two minutes, the longest, most annoying ride he had ever the chance to be in; Law had to swat Luffy's curious fingers from pressing all the buttons on the side of the elevator until Law decided he needed to snatch both of Luffy's wrists in his grip and tug him close before Luffy would do something stupid like, say, maybe send them both into a whole other realm in the elevator with no way to get back to the Afterlife.

 

"Wait here." Law pointed warningly and finally released Luffy's wrists. "I'll talk to the Vice commander first before getting you in. Understood?"

 

Luffy puffed his cheeks and let out a glum, "Yeah."

 

* * *

 

  
  


“Marco.” Law greeted when he stepped off the elevator and entered the second-in-command’s domain. Only one occupant had complete control of this domain, and that was Old Pop’s right hand man.

 

Marco stopped scribbling in his huge notebook of records. “In trouble already?”

 

“No.” Law eyed the empty halls that led to the private quarters and then fixed his gaze on Marco, the one who ran the whole Death Division. “Is he in?”

 

“Yes.” Marco raised an eyebrow as he studied Law over the rim of his glasses. “Need something?

 

“Yeah. I’ve a problem with a soul. I thought Old Pops would know what to do.”

 

“Oh? Something your seniors can’t help with?” Marco leaned closer as he took off his glasses to look Law head-on. “Tell me about him. Maybe I can help.”

 

The refusal was on the tip of his tongue. There’s no way he is going to explain his problem to Marco. Marco seemed like a nice enough entity at first, but Law never felt comfortable when he made his rounds in the whole division. Maybe because the only time Law ever met him was back when Rocinante pleaded his case, earning the reputation of a problem child in Marco’s books.

 

After all, Law should have never existed at all.  

 

“He goes by the name Luffy. Apparently he remembers me a lot of times in his many pasts. Is something faulty with the Bridge of Hesitance? He shouldn’t be able to recognize me or even have memories of his other lives.”

 

Marco’s eyes steeled. “Your concern is appreciated but the suggestion that Pop’s system is failing, is not.” Even his deceptively calm voice was laced with ice.

 

Law clenched his fists to refrain the urge to flinch and gritted his teeth. “I apologize.”

 

“Never mind that. Are you sure this Luffy isn’t just pulling your leg?”

 

“I’m most certainly sure it’s not possible to lie when you’re dead.”

 

“No. It’s not. Everything human has just stopped existing.” Marco pushed himself from behind the desk and rummaged through his drawers until he finally pulled out a folder. He carefully perched the glasses on his nose and then flipped open the folder, scanning the content quickly before looking up at Law again. “I've his files here. Now you can tell me all about what he said. What were you in his memories?”

 

“A doctor in a small windmill village. A witch in the mountains protecting dragon beasts. A classmate. And a bunch of other professions.”

 

“And do you remember any of them?”

 

“No.”

 

“Not even a flash?”

 

Law shook his head.

 

“I thought I’d never actually see it in my line of work.” Marco moved over to his desk and sat down, before giving Law a long contemplative look.

 

“What is it?” Law asked warily. The contemplative look on Marco’s face swept away and an amused smirk appeared on Marco's face.

 

“Have you considered the thought that you two may be...” Marco’s smirk stretched out widely. “Soulmates?”

 

“What do you mean? How can we be soulmates when I’ve already been dead for decades?”

 

“Oh? So you’ve actually considered it?”

 

Law glared at him. “I’ve no time to joke around. He said he wants to join us.”

 

“Why are you telling me this? Let the Death Resource Management handle it.”

 

“As if I haven’t tried siccing him there. He doesn’t want to pass the Gate.”

 

Marco’s face turned grim. “It’s not your job to play messenger."

 

"I've tried to tell him that, but-"

 

"You just can't say no."

 

Law caught his lower lip between his teeth before he could admit to Marco's suggestion. But his silence was enough to answer the question that had been hanging in the air.

 

Marco took off his glasses with a sigh and wiggled his fingers at Law. "Let him in. Let’s see what he’s got to say about this.”

 

* * *

 

 

Death beckoned him to enter the room. “Don’t touch anything.” He murmured as Luffy passed him by the shoulder.

 

“Law, give us a moment please?” The only other person in the room said as he stared at Death.

 

Luffy stared at Mister-Furry-Hat-Who-Is-Called-Law, who looked conflicted and ready to disobey before thinning his lips in a forceful grunt and nodded curtly. Law then walked backwards to close the door as he left.

 

“Welcome, Luffy. I’m Marco.”

 

“Yo!” Curiosity got the better of him and Luffy looked around the room with wide-eyed fascination. This was the first time he had ever stepped into a Death office; the first and probably last time ever.

 

The room was disappointingly bare, except for two visitor chairs, a rectangular study filled with folders stacked up high and large file cabinets fixed against the wall. The only thing interesting about the room is perhaps the intricate designs of the carpet beneath his feet, maybe even the hair growing out of Marco’s head, who sat across the desk, and the odd plant--pale pink-grey-white flowers--in the far corner.

 

“Asphodel.” Marco had said when Luffy eyed the plant with fascination, poking the tubes that looked like fruit. “It’s edible for the dead.”

 

Luffy grimaced. “We eat only flowers? Where’s the meat?”

 

Marco chuckled, shaking his head, “There’s no meat. Eating isn’t for sustenance here in the afterlife. We eat because it makes us feel more than dead. It reminds us that we once left loved ones behind to dwell in this world.”

 

“That’s a load of… complicated things.” Luffy scratched his head. “Is it important?”

 

“Right now? Not really. Come, now.” Marco pointed to one of the visitor’s chairs. “Let’s have a long, exciting discussion about your fate.”

 

Luffy plopped down to the nearest seat and clamped his hands on the desk. “So Mister Furry hat said that I should talk to you about the test.”

 

“Mister Furry Hat?” Marco blinked, nearly dropping his glasses from his fingers, “Ah, you mean, Law. Yes, he’s right.” Marco finally opened the folder in his hand. “Let’s start with the basics.”

 

“All right!”

 

“Monkey D. Luffy, age 19.”

 

“And a half. My birthday is coming up!” Luffy cut in.

 

“Ah yes, it says so right here as well. You got heavily injured during a car pile up and then died in hospital due to heart failure and infections.” Marco paused, flipped through the files before he folded his hands on top of a random page and then smiled up at Luffy. “Let’s start with your test.” Marco laid out his hands, palm open. “Give me your hands.”  

 

“Okay? Like this?”

 

“The fastest way to test you is to burn your soul.”

 

“Wait--WHAT?”

 

* * *

 

 

Marco already felt it in his fingertips before Luffy had laid his hands in his. The tingling power. The prickling sensation of an odd but strangely powerful soul. Law had been right to bring Luffy in first. He still retained memories of his previous lives and was apparently recovering more of them at an accelerated rate in his current state; the untested soul with one foot in the Death Force and the other in the Mortal Plane that should actually be impossible.

 

Luffy was, in fact, an anomaly by Marco’s standards.

 

Although he had joked about Law and Luffy being soulmates, Marco was surprised that there might be some truth to support this; like the way Marco could see Luffy’s memories coiled deep around the idea that he had actually met Law at some point.

 

In theory, Law should have recovered his memories by now. At least, some of the ones before he became Death.

 

“Hot, hot, hot!” Luffy complained but he couldn’t pull his hands away from Marco’s iron grip, no matter how he tried to wiggle free. “How much longer do you need my hands?”

 

“Don’t worry.” Marco paused, “You won’t be burned to crisp. I promise.” Marco watched the fire flow through his fingers into Luffy’s soul, fascinated with the bright colors it emitted once it wrapped around Luffy’s inner core. The colors of magic. Luffy had once been touched by some kind of magic and carried it along throughout his many incarnations.

 

Marco had made a decision.

 

He released Luffy’s hands and reached for one of the lowest drawers of his desk, taking out a small, ghostly-white tube and presented it to Luffy.

 

“That’s the ash flower.” He stared at it and frowned up at Marco. “You expect me to eat it, don’t you?”

 

“Not yet, at least.” Marco smiled, “Open your hand and watch.” He dropped the tube in one of Luffy’s hands. Once upon contact the tube exploded into various colors.

 

Luffy yelped in surprise and dropped it on the desk. His wide eyes stared at Marco in accusation. “What was that?”

 

“Welcome to the Death Force, Luffy. That is the sign that you’ve the capabilities to enter the Front line.”

 

“And that means?”

 

“You’re going to handle the odd cases that includes demonic spirits, lost souls, cursed people and so on. Basically you lead the dead who can no longer be saved.”

 

“That’s… that’s not the same what Mr. Furry hat is doing, right?”

 

“No. It’s completely different.” Marco grinned. “Let me draw you a contract and we’ll get you a mentor to guide you through the basics.”

 

“Why can’t Mister Furry Hat do it?”

 

Marco stared at the guileless look Luffy was giving him. So very different from Law’s usual gazes.

 

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and shrugged. “Sure, why the hell not.”

 

For every new Death, Marco draws a contract. Generally, this contract sets the requirements the newly appointed Death is tasked to do, usually in the form of successfully leading a soul to the afterlife, and formal training in handling the separation between the human and his soul. But in Luffy’s case, it’s in the form of capturing stray souls and bring them in for purification with some special clauses that indicate Luffy himself shows promise to grow his own powers, very like Marco’s own.

 

For all Luffy’s efforts, they will be translated into monetary allowances. With the money, Luffy can purchase food and lodgings, anything to keep himself comfortable while not on duty. The very idea to “live” comfortably within the afterlife is ironic even in hindsight.

 

The only thing that Luffy had to look out for was to consume food for Death, to keep himself from losing his mind, his memories and eventually his own existence.

 

This last one had alarmed Luffy at first before Marco assured him that, as Death, he only needed to consume food after long periods of time.

 

Once Marco was done discussing the particulars Luffy was required to know firsthand, Luffy’s eyes seemed to glaze over. He had taken in too much information in one day and was ready to fall asleep on the chair. While Marco let the information sink in, he went to the door and called Law inside.

 

“What did he get?” was the first thing that came out of Law’s mouth.

 

“Front.” Marco smirked as he patted Law’s shoulder. “Congratulations, Law. You’ve found yourself an intern. This is your chance to be the perfect soulmate to Luffy.”

 

Law simply dropped his jaw in shock.

  
  


* * *

 

  
  


Law knocked on the door and received a grunt of affirmed permission to enter.  

 

Old Pops Newgate eyed him from above his half-moon moustache, studying, measuring, judging silently. Law wasn’t sure. The moment he had stepped into Newgate’s office, the air had tensed, bearing heavily upon his shoulders.

 

Pops was actually not his real name. It was the only name Pops preferred to be called. His real name, though, was actually Newgate, ironically referring to the gateway of a soul heading to a new life.

  
  


Law had only entered this room once; several decades ago, when Rocinante had vouched for his willingness to work in the Death force. Only the most dire situations were allowed in, thanks to Marco’s careful assessments of every situation brought to his door.

 

“So tell me son, what has been bothering you?” Newgate beckoned to him to come closer and patted his large knee.

 

Law didn’t move an inch. He glared at the knee.

 

Newgate’s eyes twinkled with mirth. “Come on, son, don’t be shy. It’s only going to be us in here.”

 

“I’d rather stand right here, thanks.” Law deadpanned. There’s no way he’s going to sit there. He’s not a lap cat. “Pops.”

 

Newgate pursed his lips in a miniature pout. “Something to drink then?” He held out a large can. It was filled to the brim, the foam threatening to overflow.

 

Law grimaced, holding up a hand to stop Newgate from pushing it into his face. “No thanks.”

 

“It’s a perfectly made beer from the living world.” Newgate looked affronted.

 

“I don’t drink on the job.” Law said smoothly.

 

“Oh.” Newgate blinked at him. “Suit yourself.” He shrugged. “More for me then,  GURAGURAGURA~.”

 

His whole body shook when Newgate laughed aloud. His voice boomed through the room, it was so loud it rang through Law’s head and intensified the pounding headache he had been having problems with earlier.

 

“So, are you going to stare at me for an eternity or tell what you’re here for?” Newgate went straight to the point.

 

Despite knowing Newgate wouldn’t laugh at him because of his current situation, Law felt the nervousness return and lock his throat in a tight fist.

 

He swallowed it down with much difficulty. “I’ve a situation.” Law said calmly. “One of mine wants to become Death.”

 

“That is no easy matter, indeed.” Newgate wiggled his moustache in thought. “What did Marco say about this?”

 

“He said he’s Front line.”

 

“That’s all?” Newgate looked surprised. “I thought Marco would be much snarkier with his delivery. Wait, there’s something I’m missing. Fess up, boy.”

 

Law took a deep breath and looked Newgate in the eye. “When I’m done training Luffy, I want to move on.”

 

Newgate inhaled sharply.

 

“I’ve been really having this really annoying buzz in my head and now I realize what it means.”

 

“Boy,” Newgate paused, “Is this what you want?”

 

“...Yes.” Law basked in the silence that followed.

 

Newgate plucked at his moustache, “Marco will draw the official document. But the contract you have with me--I’ll redo the clauses and requirements. This Luffy must pass all the training phases with above average grades. Once he’s successfully completed his first mission, I’ll let you go. What else do you have in mind?”

 

“None whatsoever.” Law lowered his chin. “Thank you though. For everything.”

 

“You’re welcome, boy. Now come over here and have a drink with me. To Life and Death and whatever future this may bring!”

  
  


 


	4. Memories II ~ Law

His vision swam, distorting the scene in front of him. Blood dripped down into his left eye, coloring one side of his world red, as it made its way down along his cheek to the dusty floor. His eye fluttered involuntarily. He groaned, shifting uncomfortably with his arms still tied in his back. He tried to wipe the thick blood away, but he didn’t have the luxury to do just that when something large and glinting sharp slammed down.

 

A big fucking axe.

 

With a grunt, he pushed himself out of the way, dodging the attack by a hair’s width and cried out when he landed on his arm and his ankle twisted, and his head knocked into a nearby rubble. Dust and granite expulsed all around him, some of them stuck between his eyelashes, some of them flown into his eyes and he inhaled several particles through both his nose and his mouth.

 

The rope bit deep into the skin of his wrists as he shifted sharply, until he finally got himself propped on one elbow on the floor. He tugged frantically at the rope, his fingers straining to get the knot; at the same time, he crawled on one elbow, dragging the rest of his weight along the floor. The broken ankle was unsalvageable at this point.  

 

He coughed loud and spasmodically, his chest burning hot fire at the effort as he tried to wring out the bad dust. White spots dotted along the edges of his eyes.

 

Instincts screamed at him to move, to run. Anywhere!

 

Headache had exploded in his mind after knocking his head on the rocks, and his ears were still ringing from the force. He tried to orientate himself to the place. He has to get out of here. Find a safe place and recollect himself to come up with a different strategy. He kicked his legs, willing them to move.

 

Thick boots crunched forward and then a sharp kick rammed into his stomach.

 

The air in his lungs was ripped out of his body. The burning in his chest exploded all through the rest of his body. And he coughed, spit foaming out.  

 

He crashed down on the floor again, his body automatically curled up in a fetal position.

 

“Pity. You almost made it out, Law. By only five hundred meters.”

 

He felt the mocking smile at the end of those words.

 

Law peeled one eye open, glaring at his assailant and took note of the bushy beard and the glinting, silver axe. The assailant crouched beside him and fisted his hair by the roots.

 

“You lose.”

 

There wasn’t even time to cry out in pain when something hard knocked him in the back of the head and the world exploded.

 

* * *

 

 

When he opened his eyes, there was a face peering down at him. A long, angular unknown face.

 

The shadows obscured his face but the eyes and smile stood prominently out. The eyes were sightless, dark and blank without any sign of life. The smile was unsettlingly big, stretched wide across his cheeks till it disappeared behind his jawline.

On closer inspection, it looked more like a thick red line of lipstick that made the smile stretch out.

 

His eyes widened at the sight and he reflexively kicked out, throwing his arms forward to push whoever was hovering above him. But before his defensive attack could hit, a large hand caught both his wrists and a knee had maneuvered his thrashing legs into a locked position. Fear instantly got trapped in the back of his throat. His body immediately stilled.

 

“I mean you no harm.” The stranger said, his voice low and calm and surprisingly quiet. “I have come to collect you.”

 

“Collect… me?”

 

The stranger nodded and slowly released him, backing away to stand in a respectable distance. “I’m Death. I’ve come to collect your soul, Law. Although it’s regrettable how you died in the first place. I’m sure once you’ve passed the Road to the Afterlife, you will get a suitable chance to return to this world with a much better fate.” Death paused, “As long as you don’t do anything rash.”

 

“I don’t believe you,” Law said. “I escaped. I’d run away from my captors.”

 

Death shot him a significant glance, eyes gliding to a space over Law’s shoulder.

 

Involuntarily, Law followed the glance and inhaled sharply.

 

There, lying sprawled on the floor was he himself. Blood had slowly leaked out from his wrists and his neck, coating the sand red and coloring the deep markings until a rather macabre display of red markings was revealed. No sign of breathing. The body was very still.  

 

“How-?” Law stopped, reached out to touch his body and his hand passed through. He turned up his palm to stare at it. Surprised. A memory flashed through his head and in the back of his eyes he recalled the minutes before his end. Death by hemorrhaging. He never found out who exactly his murderer was.

 

“You never made it out.” Death said quietly. “I was standing nearby when they dragged you over there and staked you.”

 

Law grimaced, “Why… who were those people?”

 

“We’ve them under investigation.”

 

“How long is that going to take?”

 

“I don’t know that. I’m not part of that on-going investigation.”

 

“So, are you saying that you’re just going to let them go while the trail is still fresh? Why don’t you end them too? You’re the death god, right?”

 

“I am Death. My duty is to escort you to the afterlife. And those who are in their last moments.” Death said. “I have no business with the living. Even those who have done questionable things.”

 

“So I’m just going to die like that?” Law flung an agitated arm to his body on the cold floor.

 

“Yes.” Death stared at him. Long and calm. “Your name appeared in the book of death.  There is no way to save you at all. If you’ve survived this here, you’d still end up dead when help arrives to send you to a surgeon.”   

 

“That’s… where’s the justice for this?” Law snapped.

 

“None, actually. Death comes for everyone, the young, the old. Humans, plants, animals. Everything and everyone. Even those who have gone before their time.”

 

“... What about hauntings? What if I want to haunt these people who had done this to me? Ghosts exist, right?”

 

“That is no light matter, Law.” Death narrowed his eyes. The air suddenly felt really cold. Goosebumps travelled across his skin. Despite being dead, why was it so freezing here anyway? “Once you decide to remain here and meddle with the living, I can no longer save your soul from what is to come. You’ll become a vengeful spirit. A spirit not worth saving.”

 

Law thinned his lips as he balled his fingers into tense fists at his side. “Who cares about that? I want revenge.” He curled his lips into a sinister smile.

 

And he strayed to the path of utter destruction.

 

* * *

 

  


"You should've left that kid alone when you first saw him." Death said.

 

"Why? He was just a kid."

 

"Didn't you realize? He wasn't part of your world. He wasn't even alive."

 

"I had my suspicions. It does explain the cold skin..."

 

"Then why did you bother?"

 

"He kept appearing when it's storming, I couldn't just leave him outside!"

 

"Is that really why? You could've done the same thing like everybody else in the village. Close the blinds, stay indoors and ignore his laughter."

 

"I'm a doctor. I'm trained to look over these problems. What if he needs my help?"

 

"He can't, Law. He's already dead to begin with. You're just wasting your time on him. Although that's commendable, it's best you leave the supernatural as what they are."

 

"... You knew what happened to me?”

 

“... Yes.”

 

“What happened?”

 

“The same thing that happened to that kid. You disappeared like all the others and ended up on a chopping block in someone’s quest for immortality.”

 

Law dropped his head to his hands, his fingers fisted his dark hair.

 

* * *

 

 

Lamie would understand. Lamie would help his cause.

 

Born frail and small. Chances of her actually surviving past her first year were stacked against her. But Lamie had been strong. She had a stronger fighting spirit. Law had watched her grow up, spent most of his free time playing with her, teaching her to read and listening to her sing.

 

Lamie wouldn’t deny her beloved brother of this, would she?

 

No.

 

Of course not. He’s her beloved brother, the one she looked up to since forever.

 

His death had devastated her.

 

“Lamie.” He called out to her, reaching forward to pat her head. His fingers passed through the long tresses of her hair.

 

Lamie had cried herself to sleep, curled up on top of the comforter. She hadn’t bothered to wash up and change out of her mourning clothes since his body got cremated.

 

“Brother.” Lamie had murmured in her sleep, and a lone tear trailed down from her eyelashes.

 

Without a second thought, Law stuck his hand into Lamie’s head. “Please let me in.”

 

Lamie wheezed upon contact but otherwise remained asleep, her brow furrowed.

 

Law leaned in closer, timing his descent into Lamie’s body.

 

“Law!” He received a kick to the head, snapping his neck to an odd angle. “Leave the girl alone!” And he glared at Death.

 

“I haven’t exact my revenge yet.”

 

“Law, you can’t do this. She’s your sister. Don’t you love her?”

 

“I do. Which is why she’s going to help me kill them.”

 

“Law, listen to yourself for a second. You’re already dead. But you want to turn your innocent sister into a murderer?”

 

“She wouldn’t mind. She’s doing this for me.”

 

“There are other ways to get back at those killers, Law. But please.” Death wrapped his hands around Law’s face, looking him straight in the eye. All Law could see were black pupils, stretched wide across the eyes. The eyes of Death were unnatural and yet Death looked like he was worried about him. “Please spare your sister.”

 

Law knocked the hands off his face, huffing and walked out of the room. He still has time to take over Lamie’s body anyway.

 

The following night was exactly seven days after his wake. As a scientific-driven family, Law’s family didn’t really follow closely the procedures  that the priest had instructed them to do, namely putting around objects for protection against spirits, especially near his plaque. The only thing obstructing his path was the incense.

 

He dodged the coils of smoke coming from the incense sticks as he made his way back to Lamie’s room. His hand clutched his chest tightly when he accidentally inhaled some of the purificated odor and nearly cooked himself from the inside out. When he looked inside the room, Lamie wasn’t inside at all. Frowning, Law wondered if she was at a friend’s house, which would seem unlikely since those in mourning shouldn’t be even near someone’s private home.

 

Maybe she was at school? Or hanging out in the mall? As her older brother, he knew her the best. Whenever Lamie was upset she’d stay out of the house until dinner time. She’d usually sleepover at friends and if not there, she’d be at the riverbank, huddled up in a tree.

 

Law exited his parental home, ignoring the hunched figures of his parents crying in their bedroom and went straight towards the river that flowed right through Flevance. He peered through the bushes, checked the branches and underneath the thick roots of old oak trees, making guesses where Lamie would hide herself from the world.

 

Law circled the riverbank, picking out familiar places Lamie used to hide in but all of them turned out to be empty spaces.

She was nowhere to be found. Then he checked the ground for marks. Lamie wore shoes with distinctive outer sole patterns, zig zag waves with a large heart in the gripzone. He’s tracked her to her hiding places before just by looking at her foot steps in the sand.

 

There! Found it!

 

A half skid mark smudged over the bushes, as if she had crashed right into them. The distance between each foot print and the way the print showed mostly the front sole suggested she had run. She had tried running very fast. The heart was barely visible in the soft sand.

 

Law studied the prints, and checked the directions before deciding on the one heading away from familiar Lamie territory, into the dense overgrown woodlands.

 

High weed grass obstructed his path, along with wild cacti, large rocks, and uneven ground. The footprints stopped right in front of a cactus. Puzzled, Law eyed the cacti bushes. Why would Lamie stop there? There was no path at all except going around them; no sign of anything that might have led her around any of these prickly plants.

 

He looked around the area and was beginning to doubt his tracking skills when he spotted an open field right around the overgrown cacti and found a shoe. Dirtied in orange sand. Did Lamie sink into the sands and lose a shoe? Did quicksand exist in Flevance? Law picked up the shoe, tilting it around to see if it’s really Lamie’s shoe, and frowned down to the ground, looking for more clues.

 

Upon closer inspection there were strange markings in the sand that looked like five large rings with intricate center designs.

 

He was standing in the middle of a circle with interconnected twelve-pointed star. Strange writings filled the spaces between the points of the stars. And everything was glowing bright.

 

He gasped when he finally recognized the larger rings flashing red and stumbled backwards-

 

But then someone, Death, shoved him into the center of the star emblazoned ring, tendrils of blue lines immediately shot out to tie him down. Sand dust blew everywhere, landing at the tip of his tongue and touching his eyelashes. The circle flared yellow and alive, sending a wave of fire out and embraced Law in a gulf of heat.

 

Law screamed.

 

“Please bear it a little longer,” Death begged. Law thrashed his legs and buckled to the ground, but his limbs remained shackled to the soil.

 

“Let go. Let me go!” Law roared, an inhuman growl escaped his throat.

 

“Don’t fight it, Law. Don’t fight me. It’s for your own good.” Death put all his weight on Law’s stomach and his shoulderblades before throwing a glance to the back.

 

“Do it, Marco! I can’t hold him much longer.”

 

“Get out of the way then. This stuff is lethal.”

 

“Fine, give me a moment.”

 

“On the count of three.”

 

“1… 2… 3! MOVE!”

 

Waves of blazing lava enveloped Law’s body and tore through his insides in succession.

 

A scream forced its way out of Law’s throat until his voice could no longer be heard except for his hoarse gasps of wheezing.

  


* * *

 

 

“At last, you’re awake.”

 

He blinked several times, clearing his vision when the long, angular face finally sharpened. A stranger with thick make-up was hovering above him.

 

“Where am I?” He asked, flicking his gaze around himself and realized he wasn’t actually lying on his back as he had first thought.

 

The stranger smiled, his red lipstick that was drawn from one end to the other end of his cheek made it look sinister and too wide. “The afterlife. Can you remember what happened?”

 

He frowned and tried to recall how he ended up in the afterlife and drew blanks. “... No.”

 

“That’s good.”

 

“... Why? Who are you?”

 

“Welcome to the Death Force. Your name is Law.”  

 

“... Law.” He said, slowly testing the name on his tongue before he gave the other a firm nod. The name didn’t sound foreign in his own mouth. It rang familiar and reverberated with his chest.

 

“You can call me, Rocinante.”

 

“What kinda name is-.”

 

Rocinante slapped him behind the back. “Watch it, kiddo. That’s my precious name. I don’t give it to just anyone for no reason.”

 

Law grimaced, hand clutching the abused part and pursed his lips. “Why am I here?”

 

Rocinante smiled, lips stretched back to reveal white teeth. “I’m going to train you to become Death.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Here. This is your new district.”

 

Something large and black dropped to his lap, nearly flattening his joints. Startled, Law blinked at the object that turned out to be a book. To be specific, it’s Rocinante’s Book of the Dead.

 

If Law were still alive, the whole thing might have actually bruised him up between the legs and dashed any chances of a future generation wearing his name.

 

He didn’t have time to get angry about trivialities like that now, though. The unexpected book had startled him from looking over the records he was assigned to copy down and he threw a glare to Rocinante, his mentor, before examining the object in his lap.

 

“New district huh?” Law studied the book. It looked like any Book of the Dead he had seen. It had a thick, black cover, with faint gold lining the center that served as warding lines against malevolent eyes, and it missed a title and author’s name.

 

Curiously, he flipped open the thick cover and scanned the short hand information in the front page where his name appeared on the owner list. “Why are you giving this to me?” He narrowed his eyes as he scanned for predecessor list but that tab was left empty.

 

“It’s time for me to move on.”

 

Law snapped his eyes up to stare. “You’re retiring already?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Oh.” Law closed the cover of the book and glanced away. “When did you decide to retire? I thought it’d be difficult for the Management to lose any of us.”

 

“Not long really. Just now, to be specific.” Rocinante grinned. “Just finished talking with Old Man and he gave me permission.”

 

“Then who’s going to do all your work? You can’t just leave without preparing the next reaper.”

 

Rocinante clapped a hand on Law’s shoulder. “I’ve already done my homework.”

 

Law raised his eyes to meet Rocinante. “Me,” he stated, and his insides plummeted to the floor when Rocinante nodded. “All this time… you’ve been preparing me.”

 

“Yes. And I’m sure you will do a great job too.” The hand on Law’s shoulder squeezed comfortingly.

 

“Why…? How did you decide to suddenly stop being Death?”

 

“When the time comes, you will know. It’s that niggling and annoying buzzing up here.” Rocinante pointed to his head and smiled again. “But for now, just concentrate on finishing every mission in that book.” Rocinante patted the book cover.  

 

“You don’t even have to say it. I’m already going to do it anyway.” Law gathered the book in his arms and clutched it closely to his chest.

 

Finally! He’s finally going to be a full fledged reaper.

 

Inheriting Rocinante’s book and responsibilities was the greatest thing in the world.

  


 


	5. Epilogue 1

**_DEATH FORCE HQ_ **

 

Nervous energy buzzed in the air as the recruits shyly started connecting with each other, most likely talking about the previous lives they could remember, and the time they had taken the test before choosing the Reaper Force. Some were old faces and some were new, based on how many life cycles they had gone through. The new recruits were getting a grand introduction in the Force.

 

Luffy was sitting on the railing, watching the nervous recruits on the ground floor. The newly recruited rookies shuffled nervously around as they tried to keep up with their guide, nodding and smiling at whichever higher up was nearby and then checking out every division in the Force. One of the new recruits looked familiar on hindsight, so Luffy leaned a bit further, his hands gripping the railing tight to keep himself from slipping off, his eyes narrowed as he tried to see the person better.

 

It was a tall, lanky one. He had the hardened, jaded eyes; the tight set of a jaw and the downturned mouth in a thin line. It didn’t help that even the fur hat looked familiar.

 

Luffy blinked and smiled, a slow tug at the edges of his lips as his mind finally connected a name to the face. He watched as the familiar face looked on sternly as the guide explained the necessary basics of the splitting of divisions in the Force, not one slither of surprise while all the recruits watched on with huge eyes with dropped jaws.

 

“Finally.” He said to himself, “You’ve made it.”

 

From the corner of his eye, Zoro had decided to join him, propping his elbows on the railing as he too looked down to check out the new recruits. The swords he carried at his hip, clinked together as their hilts touched the railing.

 

“Oh, he’s here again. How ironic. First time moving on to Live and then coming back again to become Death,” Zoro paused, "You're not going to say hi to him?”

 

"Hm?" Luffy tore his eyes away from his target, a fond smile on his face. "Did you say something?"

 

“Say hello.” Zoro stated as he jutted his chin to the recruits, "Him."

 

Luffy didn’t need to ask which ‘him’ he meant. They had worked together on so many missions to the Living that they had developed a certain degree of understanding of each other’s thought processes, creating their own psychic communication wavelength.

 

Luffy stared at Zoro blankly, before smiling. "Nope."

 

"Hn," Zoro hummed. "You sure about that? This might be the last time you're ever going to see him."

 

"It’s not too bad.” Luffy lowered his head, letting his hair shadow his eyes. “I’m just glad he’s not completely ripped apart from either Planes.” He chuckled. “Besides, I’m sure he has already forgotten about me the moment he signed the Contract with the Old Man.“

 

“Just introduce yourself to him and maybe he can remember.” Zoro egged on, turning his body to face Luffy.

 

“Nah, it’s fine.” Luffy twisted himself around the railing and finally got off, hands dusting his pants and his boots stomping on the floor. “There’s no time for pleasantries at all.” He looked Zoro in the eye. “We have a new mission. Right?”

 

Zoro sighed and nodded. “Yeah. That Old Man Newgate gave us another shitty assignment.”

 

Luffy laughed aloud. “But he’s a cool Old Man. He always gives us the interesting missions.”

 

“That’s because they’re the ones nobody wants.” Zoro scoffs, “And the Old Man knows you won’t refuse his requests.”

 

“That’s not true. He gives us the hard ones because he knows you enjoy a good fight.”

 

“I think he is just messing with us.” Zoro grumbles, “Or maybe he just wants to prevent this from happening again.”

 

“This? What is ‘this’?”

 

“You and that Furry hat guy—Torafulagala something.”

 

Luffy gave him a long look. “So we’re back to that topic again? I never thought you were interested in what happened between us.”

 

“I’m not.”Zoro snorted. “You two are just being stupid and I’m tired of this shit. If that Day never happened, you both could’ve gone back into the normal life cycle and lived every available life in the Living as long as your souls were intact. But you’re not. You’re stuck in this Plane. For now, at least.”

 

 

A slow smile tugged on Luffy’s lips. “It’s fine. Thanks for sticking by my side, Zoro.”

 

Zoro looked taken aback, his expression turned uncomfortable. He didn’t even look Luffy in the eye anymore, unsure what this was supposed to be, wondering why Luffy would give him that expression. “The Old Man never said you couldn’t meet him anymore. I mean, you are basically him, right? And he is you. Or you're part of him and he you.”

 

“It doesn’t matter. It’s all in the past.” Luffy turned on his heels, his back to Zoro and cheerfully shouted, “Now, come on, Zoro! We have a mystery to dig into.”

 

The mood whiplash Luffy gave him was enough to make Zoro bite back another snide comment about cowardly behavior and stupidity. But Luffy was already heading into the Bridge of Hesitance, not even looking back at him to tell him "Hurry up!".

 

Whatever it was that was keeping Luffy from actually meeting that guy, it was none of Zoro’s business. Clearly, Luffy thought it wasn’t either, since he had been dismissive about it earlier. Maybe it was just not the right time to meet up again in this timeline. Or the right place.

 

But the next time those two did meet, they would no longer be strangers.

  
  
  



	6. Epilogue 2

_**Alternative universe timeline - SOMEWHERE IN THE GRAND LINE, 15:54 PM** _

**  
  
**

“Hey Captain!” Bepo and Penguin called out at the same time, stumbling into the sleeping quarters, their boots thumping loud and their elbows hitting the door opening.

“Lemme inside!” Penguin grunted.

“But I got here first.” Bepo said.

“Bepo, we can’t fit in the opening at all. Move over!”

Law grimaced at the squabbling. Their voices echoed in the room with no objects nearby to bounce off the extra volume. He peeled his eyes open, barely seeing anything sharp, and glared at them from under his hooded eyes. For a moment his vision was dotted with white spots, and then they evolved into long, sweeping watery lines, blurring the edges of everything within his line of vision. And by then, Bepo and Penguin had finally made a truce somehow and entered the sleeping quarters one by one.

He had only been able to doze off for fifteen minutes before they woke him up with their loudness. And in those fifteen minutes, he recalled a time; one when he was nameless.

“What is it?” Law laid a hand over his face and dragged it down to wipe off any sort of sleep in the muscles. He had just been able to sink into a dreamless sleep ten minutes ago. After some tossing and turning, his brains going haywire as they mapped out the next plan of action that will lead them closer to One Piece, before exhaustion dragged him into oblivion. Unsuccessfully.

With both Bepo and Penguin fighting to get through the room, all attempts to find rest were for naught. “Are we under attack?”

“No, cap-.” Penguin fumbled.

“Is someone dying?” Law cut him off as he shot both of his crew an irritated glare.

“No-.”

“Did someone need to be cut open?”

Penguin and Bepo visibly paled, but quickly cried out, “NO!”

“S-sorry, Captain.” Bepo ducked his head.

“So?” Law prompted.

Then Penguin elbowed Bepo lightly in the stomach, but due to their height differences he got Bepo in the hip instead. Penguin pulled out a stack of papers from the back of Bepo’s pockets. “Look here, cap! The marines have just recently sent off the new wanted posters.”

Law raised his eyebrows and pushed himself off the bed, curling one leg toward the other one.

Usually he wasn’t that interested in the rewards the Marines tacked onto his head, but a pirate is considered a pirate when authorities recognize him as a threat and deal out a worthy bounty. Such is the ego stroking that’s goes on in the pirate world; having a bounty and a picture spread all over the world and within the Marines’ information archives. Plus, it showed everyone which ones were still in the running for the mythical Gol D. Roger’s biggest treasure, One Piece.

The Heart pirates’ last excursion had been a risky but noteworthy anecdote in the pirating world. They had sneaked into and attacked a small marine base in North Blue, in order to obtain expensive medical supplies (including an operation table, anesthetic, bandages, operation equipment, new surgical tools), several medical records of some known Grand Line and New World recorded diseases, and they had also listened in on highly confidential info on Donquixote family activities all over the Grand Line. So their last raid was bound to bring the attention of some higher ups in the World Government to the activities under Hearts Pirate, Trafalgar Law.

“How much is my head worth?” Law asked.

“Twenty million beli, captain!” Bepo and Penguin chorused, their eyes sparkling.

“Look! Even Shachi and I got bounties.” Penguin pointed to their posters. “Although we’re no way as high as captain’s.”

“Sorry, captain. I didn’t get one.” Bepo’s ears drooped.

“It’s fine.” Law said. He smirked as he looked at their wanted posters and studied his printed face, pausing, “Where did they even get my face on the picture? Didn’t we pull down their security recording from the network?”

Bepo ducked his head again. “I’m sorry, captain.”

Penguin immediately slapped him. “Why are you apologizing? That’s not your job.”

“Well, whatever. The marines have their ways to obtain them one way or another.” Law shuffled through the pile of newly published wanted posters, his eyes trailing the names and the faces before disregarding one by one as another brute, another competitor, another name to take note of before forgetting about them.

Until his hand stopped at pushing away a poster of an unusually happy-looking kid, all his teeth bared wide to the world in a wide grin, that looked surprisingly less haughty, less pretentious and more and more naive and stupid. There’s no way this kid would survive in the seas as volatile as Grand Line. Then his eyes trailed down to check out the bounty… and Law raised his eyebrows.

“Thirty million beli?” Law murmured, “For a grunt?”

“What? Thirty million? That’s higher than captain!” Penguin and Bepo leaned in close to study the poster as well. “How is that even possible?”

“Monkey D. Luffy.” Penguin read the name slowly. “Never heard of him.”

“It’s his first bounty too!” Bepo pointed out and Penguin let out a long-winded “Wha~t? You kidding me.”

They clustered close to Law’s head, trying to study the poster from all angles. “He doesn’t look like a pirate,” Penguin muttered.

“Yeah, what did he do anyway? Did the marines make a mistake with too many zeroes?” Bepo wondered aloud. “What if he’d forged it?”

Law hummed, “Was anything interesting mentioned in the papers?”

“Ah right, I forgot I had one.” Penguin pulled out a rolled up newspaper and leafed through it, his eyes quickly scanning the headlines back and forth through the columns and the picture captions, and gasped. “The kid had taken down Arlong’s crew in East Blue. Wow. That’s the most dangerous you can get in that backwater side of the ocean.”

“Another contender for One Piece,” Law concluded and narrowed his eyes at the smiling kid poster, particularly the name, and his lips stretched out in a wide smirk. “It looks like things are getting more and more interesting these days.”

“Aye, captain!”

A half year later, news about the dangerous Monkey D. Luffy and his Strawhat crew gradually increased; namely the attack on Enies Lobby to get back a crewmember, destroying the whole island, which was basically a war declaration to the World. Whatever went through Strawhat’s mind, he was either stupid or really, really a dangerous brute.  

The Hearts crew met the Strawhats crew in a slave auction house in Sabaody Archipelago. Law’s first impression of Strawhat was that he was a reckless idiot. Punching a Celestial Dragon or at least several of them in this territory that was right next to the Marine Headquarters was a bold and stupid thing to do.

But that’s not bad at all.

The D this kid was baring proudly in his name showed no sign of stopping at all, hence his involvement a week after Sabaody in the War at the Top, right next to the legendary Whitebeard Pirates. With Law ordering his crew to sail close to the battlefield of the Best, it was no coincidence at all that he would want to witness the passing of the Old Pirate age as it peaked right into a New Pirate one. Offering to treat Strawhat and helping him escape, however, was purely a calculating move.

Two years later, that action had paid off. Even when Strawhat had destroyed every possible strategic plan Law had laid out on him and his crew. Law had lost count of how many times he had lost his temper just dealing with any of them, including Monkey D. Luffy.

Deja vu cannot even begin to explain how Law felt like he had aged too fast, too many times just interacting with him, and for one moment he wondered why this encounter didn't feel as awkward and unexpected than it should have been in the Grand Line.

After Dressrosa, after everything that happened during the battle with Doflamingo, Law finally breathed out a long, weary sigh. His arm no longer throbbed that much thanks to the anesthetic he had jammed into his blood vessels. He finally took off the heavy, fur hat and allowed the sea wind’s breeze to play with his hair strands and simply breathed in the salt; the freedom.

Beside him, Strawhat had propped himself on the railing, staring out to the vast sea, on the lookout for Zou kingdom. For once, Strawhat had not said anything. He had not even made any noise since he had planted himself beside Law on the upper deck.

“I’m glad I’ve met you.” Law finally wormed those words out of his mouth. Though he was shocked it came out at the most inconvenient time and felt his face go hot in embarrassment.

Strawhat turned to stare at him, his face blank, his eyes studying Law’s face without blinking, before they curved into half moons and a wide grin pulled at the corners of his lips, “Me too, Torao, shishishi.” Then Strawhat slapped Law’s back, “Once we meet the rest of our crew, we should throw a big party. I won’t share my meat with you though.”

Law gritted his teeth as he restrained himself from cutting Strawhat into pieces. They were having a serious conversation here. Why was meat even part of the equation?

“Luffy," he growled, balling his fists for a moment, before releasing the tension with a long, resigned sigh and slumped over the railing, hanging his head.

And Law finally allowed himself to smile.

**The end**


	7. Bonus

**♥ Ace ♥**

 

“Going out already? Have you done the laundry yet?” Ace called out from the living room. He was sitting in front of their television, legs spread out, his back hunched over as his fingers rapidly punched the buttons on the game console. Today, he had popped in a new game disc.  

 

From Sabo’s angle, all he could make out the game disc box being called Kingdom of Hearts. He hadn’t played it yet, maybe after his appointment he could pop it in as a new player as well and beat Ace’s scores.

 

“Yeah! They’re all in the dryer.” Sabo pulled out the drawers in the living room, checking the contents one by one before his eyes sparkled at finding his navy blue socks next to the other knickknacks Ace and Luffy kept in there; Luffy’s old ratty baseball, Ace’s broken calculator, several colored pencils and some unopened packets of colored post-it notes. “Can you hang them for me, please? And oh, please take care of tonight’s dinner. I won’t be able to make it today.”

 

“No way!” Ace cried out and paused the video game, twisting around still seated on the floor to glare at Sabo. “Ask someone else.”

 

Sabo hopped on one foot as he slipped on the right sock. “Please, Ace. Who should I ask then? I don’t trust Luffy to do my chores.” He nearly stumbled over the rug laid out at the entrance of the living room, and grunted, “Ugh, I’m already late for my appointment.” He leaped back into his room to get his backpack, quickly slipping on the straps with one hand while the other hand tried to widen the hole in the last sock for the other foot to fit in.

 

Ace sniffed. “What is in it for me?”

 

“Free food for a week!” Sabo said.

 

Ace hummed as if taking the offer into consideration, and then held out V-sign. “Two weeks. I’m already doing double for you.”

 

“One week, Ace!”

 

“The whole month!”

 

“What? No! That’s too much. I don’t even get paid enough to fill that hole of a stomach of yours. Yours AND Luffy’s.”

 

“Then you shouldn’t have offered food.” Ace sniffed, crossing his arms. “No deal.”

 

“Arghghh,” Sabo stumbled over his feet as he fit the other sock over his toes, pressing his shoulder against the wall for leverage. “Fine, ok. One month. The money I have now is probably enough to pay for food for two weeks.” Sabo straightened and pulled at his clothes to unwrinkled them, huffing as he finally looked Ace in the eye. “It pains me to say this, but the rest of it--I’ll have to take out from my savings.”

 

“Is this appointment really that important for you to go snacking on your savings?” Ace asked, a deep frown furrowed on his head. “I mean, you’ve never touched it ever since you moved in with me and Luffy.”

 

“Can’t be helped. My current salary isn’t enough to cover all the food expenses.”

 

Ace blinked at Sabo. “Wow, Sabo. I’m touched.” He uncurled himself from the floor and stood up, shaking his legs to release the tensed muscles and get the blood flowing again. Little pinpricks pulsed underneath his skin, temporarily stunning any movement he was about to do. “All right. I’ll take over your stuff then.” He smirked. “Better buy us the best steak, Sabo.”

 

“Thanks man. I owe you dinner. See you later.” Sabo rushed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

 

Ace let out a tired sigh and headed for the small corner space where they had a washer wedged between the kitchen and the bathroom. On his way there, he grabbed a plastic laundry basket and opened the lid of the washer and started unloading the laundry. He sniffed at one of the shirts to check if they were washed right and carried the basket to the small balcony where laundry lines were stretched out across from one end to the other, and hung the clothes.

 

After hanging the laundry to dry, Ace checked the clock and then made his way into the kitchen to make something quick and easy for lunch. He still needed to finish his quest in the Sea world, but Luffy should be getting home any minute now; tired and hungry. It’s annoying to play games when Luffy would complain about an empty stomach and wanting food.

 

By the time he polished off his own dinner from the plate, the front door rumbled open.

 

“Ace, I’m home. What’s for dinner?” Luffy called out, toeing off his shoes while kicking the shoe rack by accident and then stumbling over his feet as he made his way into the kitchen.

 

“Spaghetti and meatballs.” Ace answered. He laid his empty plate into the sink and picked out a clean plate from the shelf to give Luffy a huge serving from the pot. He snapped the serving spoon on Luffy’s grubby fingers and waved it disapprovingly in Luffy’s face, “Go wash up.”

 

“Shishishishi, okay.” Luffy obediently washed his hands in the kitchen sink and quickly took his place on the kitchen island, legs swinging back and forth as Ace finally gave him his serving.

 

Luffy’s eyes sparkled immediately and his mouth started to water, “Yay, you made huge meatballs.” He stabbed his fork into the spaghetti and rolled long tendrils around the teeth, spearing the nearest meatball at the end. While Luffy made happy sounds as he consumed his food, Ace grabbed some coke from the fridge and took the chair across from Luffy and rested his elbows on the granite kitchen island.

 

“Nah, these are canned meatballs. It’s a pain to make them from scratch.”

 

“That’s okay. I’ll eat anything you give me.”

 

“When you’re done, let’s play a round. I picked out Kingdom Hearts 2.0.”

 

“Ooohhh, new game?” Luffy’s tomato-colored teeth grin gave Ace the answer. “Sure. Can I eat all of that too?” He pointed to the pot.

 

“No. That’s for Sabo.”

 

“But he already ate. I just saw him at some restaurant on my way home.”

 

“Really? That fucker should’ve said he didn’t want dinner and was planning to eat outside. Where was he at, anyway? His colleagues?”

 

Luffy shrugged. “Yeah, some girl with a funny hat.”

 

Ace blinked. “Girl?”

 

“Yeah. Short hair like Nami’s. She’s shorter than Robin and smiles really nice. She’s not as clingy as Hancock.”

 

Ace ran a mental search in his memories trying to put a face to the girl Sabo would have been with, but he only managed to bring up the ladies in Luffy’s little harem. Seriously out of both his brothers, only Luffy seems have friends of the opposite sex; friends who were most likely crushing on him. Nami might not show it, but she really liked Luffy and tended to bully him. Hancock was the worst of the lot, spouting marriage and engagement whenever she was near Luffy. Shirahoshi basically worshipped Luffy. Whereas Robin seemed to take great pleasure just being nearby, teaching Luffy history and math. Jeez, Luffy was such a charmer. How did he even attract them like flies? It’s something Ace wondered about from time to time. But as his older brother-figure and close friend, Ace assumed Luffy would never be interested in anything romantic with any of the girls. He can’t see it at all; Luffy was both asexual and aromantic.

 

And now, Sabo was meeting with a girl too.

 

Ace didn’t know how to feel about this. Should he start teasing his brother for finally getting a girl? Or should he be angry at him for lying to his face to go on a date with that girl?

 

He was probably working himself up for no reason. He remembered that Sabo is his same-age friend and is mature enough to decide when to jump into the dating market.

 

“I don’t know her name, but she was being mean to Sabo. Stretched his face and punched his arm a few times too.”

 

Ace snorted. “Ouch. And he didn’t fight back? Or warn her off?”

 

“No. He didn’t. He kept apologizing to her.”

 

Ace was growing suspicious. “Apologizing, huh?”

 

“Yep. It was kind of funny. He clapped his hands a few times to beg something from her.”

 

“He told me he was going to an important appointment.” Ace recalled.

 

“Really? It looked like they were having fun. They laughed.” Luffy slurped the last of his spaghetti with much gusto, and licked the last sauce from his plate, getting tomato sauce all over his cheeks and the corner of his mouth. Ace sighed and plucked out a sheet of napkin nearby to wipe Luffy’s face clean.

 

“Jeez. I thought he was going to go to the doctor to get his teeth done. He said appointment so I assumed it was the dentist.”

 

“Maybe she’s the nurse?”

 

“Did she look like a nurse to you?”

 

Luffy shrugged. “So? ” Luffy snatched Ace’s coke and downed it in one gulp.

 

Ace squawked at his impudence and kicked Luffy in the shin.

 

“Ow. That hurt.”

 

“That was my last coke, you shithead,” Ace snapped. He felt around for his wallet and remembered it was still on the table beside the tv where he had placed it next to the new game cd case he had bought earlier that week. “I’m going to stock up. Do you want something too? Midnight snacks and all. I won’t clean your room, though.”

 

“Wait, I’m coming with you too. The new JUMP manga issue might be in.”

 

“I’m not buying manga for you. Pay for it with your piggy bank.”

 

“Okay, okay,” Luffy pouted, slipping off the chair and slinked into his room to get said piggybank, a miniature plastic sheep case. He shook out several coins and a crumpled bill and stuffed them into his pockets. “All right, let’s go.”

 

Ace checked the contents of the fridge and the snack shelf in case anything of importance should be purchased as well. He scribbled a note on the message board hanging above one of the kitchen shelves where important messages and chores were put on notice, and tore off a post-it note to list important items to buy at the store.

 

Coke. Soda. Toilet paper. Ramen noodles. Chocolate pocky sticks. Popcorn.

 

Satisfied with the short list, Ace stuffed it into the back pocket of his pants. “You done yet?”

 

“Yes!” Luffy patted the bulge where he kept his money and ran to the front door to wear his slippers, throwing the front door wide open. Ace followed him at a leisurely pace; he took a detour to the kitchen to grab his wallet and the keys, and headed to the front door, putting on his slippers and closing the door behind him.

 

The closest convenience store is six blocks away from their apartment. The walk there was anything but quiet. Luffy took this opportunity to tell Ace all about his day, about some funny anecdotes at work and at school, about his friends’ squabbles, about the food he had tasted, about the cat he spotted in the alley on the way back, and so on.

 

Sometimes Ace tuned him out in favor of rearranging his thoughts, mostly about the business he was trying to build up from scratch, his eyes staring far ahead, not exactly seeing the other crowd coming from across.

 

Sometimes Ace listened, because Luffy seemed to meet a lot of interesting people and make friends with funny people. Luffy no doubt had brought trouble to each and every one of them since he seemed to attract them without even trying.

 

Ace didn’t know whether to envy Luffy or pity him. Once the store was in sight, Luffy skipped ahead and let out a happy cry. “Hey, Ice-pops,” he greeted the owner with a huge smile. “Is the new issue in yet?”

 

“Luffy.” The owner gave him a small smile and gestured to the book aisles. “Yeah. You can check them there. Be careful with the pages, though! One wrinkle and you’re buying them.”

 

“Awesome! Thanks pops.” Luffy made his way to the aisle where the magazines and some cooking and cosmetic books were shelved.

 

When he saw the newest book issues, he snatched one of the opened books from the rack and leafed inside, carefully studying the text.

 

“Iceberg, hey,” Ace greeted the owner. He paused at the check-out counter, and scanned the items displayed nearby, his hand reaching to one of the lollipops that promised sourness for the rest of the day.

 

“Evening, out for a walk?”

 

“Yeah, need to stock some coke. And other stuff.”  

 

“You know where to find them, right?”

 

“Yeah, no problem.” Ace flicked his gaze to Luffy. “Please keep an eye on Luffy. I know he is a handful sometimes but I don’t want him to suddenly wander around out with his head glued in that book.”

 

“Sure, it’s fine. He’s usually quiet when he reads anyway.”

 

“God please save us all.” Ace grinned and then waved at Iceberg, “I’ll be right back.”

 

As he passed the counter, he grabbed a plastic basket and walked into the right aisle in the far corner where the cooler and refrigerators were placed against the walls. He took out several cans of coke and checked the rest of the content in the coolers through the glass for anything else to add before moving to the back aisle to get toilet paper.

 

Once grocery shopping was finished, Ace challenged Luffy to a speedboating game. Sprawled on the floor in the living-room with opened bags of chips around them, Luffy and Ace were crouched in front of the tv, furiously punching buttons and rolling joysticks.

  
  


* * *

 

**♥ Sabo ♥**

 

Dry sweat had gathered on Sabo’s face.

 

Standing right at the door waiting for him was an annoyed Ace.

 

“Where have you been?” Ace snapped. “It’s already eleven right now. I doubt your dentist appointment lasted this long.”  

 

When Sabo got home he had tried his best to sneak into the apartment, fearing that every creak the door made would disturb his brothers. But in the end, his ninja sneaking skills had failed him completely and the hinges had cried as soon as it moved. Dammit, he knew he should’ve oiled them last week.

 

And Ace was there, obstructing the hall where Sabo should take off his shoes, scowling.

 

“H-hi, Ace.” Sabo laughed nervously and shifted his eyes away from looking up at Ace’s face. “You’re up late.”

 

“And whose fault is that?” Ace folded his arms over his naked chest. Despite only wearing black pajama pants, Ace looked the least rumpled. His hair that usually stood out like a haphazard bird nest of wrong twigs put together, was pulled back in small twintails of coconut trees, indicating that Ace was busy with something serious. Most likely work projects he had taken home. His eyes were red-rimmed and that was most likely due to staring too long at the screen instead of having been rudely woken up.

 

With a quick glance around the apartment, Sabo noticed the computer in the living room and all the apartment lights were turned off except for the desk lamp where Ace was presumably working.

 

“You stayed up for me,” Sabo said, a little touched.

 

“I was worried sick. When you didn’t pick up your phone, I thought you’ve ended in a ditch and someone had made off with your phone.” Ace raged. He kept his voice low, and Sabo realized Luffy had fallen asleep on the sofa, drooling into the blanket Ace had thrown over him.

 

“Sorry, sorry, I got held up.” Sabo thought about the incessant buzzing in his pants earlier and realized he had kept his phone in silent mode.

 

“You think that’s enough to leave you alone, Sabo?” Ace accused. “On your knees and say like you meant it!”

 

Sabo gaped at him. “What the hell. Why would I do that? You’re not my mom!”

 

Ace kicked him. “Keep your voice down,” he hissed. “You’ll wake up Luffy.”

 

“FUU--Ck! Ow! You asshole! What did you do that for?”

 

“For being secretive,” Ace sniffed. “I don't have time for this. Now go get washed. If you’re hungry, there’s still cold spaghetti in the fridge. "

 

 

It was not his intention to purposefully divert his brothers’ attention from the ‘appointments’ he had been scheduling over the course of three months. Knowing Ace, he might have suspected Sabo was hiding something that very night he caught him sneaking into the house at eleven.

 

Sabo was deliberately not telling them anything yet, because he knew they would freak out on him.

 

He loves his brothers a lot. So much that he’d rather not tell them everything that’s been running around in his mind. They shared everything. They liked sharing all their thoughts and dreams and even secrets. But this time, this secret was better kept away from their ears.

 

Strange as it may seem, but these thoughts had never been a priority to take note of until recently.

 

And it’s all Koala’s fault. She planted that idea in his head through a casual comment and now it festered in his mind like an annoying weed.

 

“If you don’t pick up your shit yourself, you’ll end up in a ditch soon, Sabo. What if Ace and Luffy decide to marry and have kids? They’ll have no time to put up with your lazy ass and probably kick you out of the house. Or foist their children on you for free babysitting conditions.”

 

"What if they're interested in guys?" was his feeble defense and Koala had given him a contemplative look. The look that made him realize, shit, he'd just dug his own grave.

 

"Well then, either way," Koala had smirked, "You still have to pick up your slack. I wouldn't worry too much about Ace, since he seems so much more level-headed than you. Luffy, however, hmmm... ."

 

The thought of his brothers getting romantic partners soon didn’t sit well in his mind either. Because… HOW? When would they be interested in these matters? They probably wouldn’t. His head went kaboom when he tried to imagine either Ace or Luffy heading out on dates. Like woahhh there, this is a really awkward thing to imagine. What would happen if they went out of their way to kiss someone? What if they went beyond the kissing and straight to sex?

 

Like shit. What the heck. He wanted to bleach his overactive mind immediately.

 

Sabo didn’t even want to TOUCH the subject of kids born from Ace and Luffy’s marriages. Seriously, what the fuck? This is going too fast!

 

And it's all Koala's fault.

 

* * *

 

 

Still, the next day, he needed to talk to Koala again. He texted her as soon as Ace let him off to bed.

 

“You’re alive.” Sitting at a small table was Koala. She kept her voice light, her face neutral as she assessed him from head to toe with her sparkling blue eyes and stuck her nose in the air. “I’m shocked.”

 

Sabo caught the mischievous glint in her eyes as he huffed and flopped on the chair across of hers. “Shut it.”

 

“It’s your fault we’re in this situation.” Koala raised a delicate eyebrow as she picked up the cup of coffee and held it to her lips. “And? What did he say?”

 

Sabo grimaced, slouching forward to thump his forehead on the table. Koala quickly picked up the saucer before it could bounce off with each violent shake. “I’m suspended for a month. But I’m allowed to finish my current projects at home.”

 

“You got off lightly, I’d say.”

 

Sabo stopped thumping his head and raised it up to look at Koala. Redness bloomed across the skin of his forehead. “Well yeah, I’m still here, aren’t I?”

 

“And you’re dragging me down as we speak.”

 

“Nah, Boss didn’t blame you at all. In fact, he said he wanted to speak to you first thing in the morning, tomorrow.”

 

Koala cringed. “Gee, how exciting.” She deadpanned and finished her cup, before setting it down delicately with a clink. “Then, that means we shouldn’t be meeting in these open places anymore.”

 

“Why the hell not? It’s not like he forbade me to talk to you guys!”

 

“You’re currently a liability in this state-”

 

“Ouch.” Sabo clutched his chest. “Way to step on my pride.”

 

“-don’t be so dramatic. You’ll get over it once your suspension is lifted. For now, we’re keeping everything low.”

 

"Can I talk it over with my brothers?"

 

Koala shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'm not your keeper." She picked up her cup of coffee and sipped it lightly, her eyes wandering the shop she had chosen to meet up with Sabo at. It was a small coffee shop with only three employees tending the counter. The small establishment only had room for six small tables with two seats for each. "Aren't you going to order something?"

 

As if on cue, Sabo clutched his stomach and blushed. "Right, sorry. I'll be right back. God, I'm so hungry. I ran out before I had any breakfast." Once Sabo moved away from his seat, Koala caught sight of two very suspicious-looking guys peering from around the vase. The sunglasses didn't do much to hide Ace's freckles and the blinding smile Luffy sent her was enough to make Koala wave at them. Both of Sabo's beloved brothers froze when they realize she had caught them. They flailed and quickly ducked away behind the huge vase and pretended to order something from a passing waitress.

 

* * *

 

 

Dramatic music filled the room. Violins accompanied the piano.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“Why? What for?”

 

“We can’t keep meeting like this? People will talk.”

 

“Let them talk. I don’t care.”

 

“You’re still a kid, you won’t understand-,”

 

“Shut up! I do whatever I want. Wait--is this your way of telling me that you want out? Like right now? That you’ve found someone else?”

 

“Wha--NO, what the heck? Where did you get that idea?”

 

“Tell it to my face. I can take it. There’s no need to pretend.”

 

“What do you mean? What am i supposed to tell you?”

 

“The truth.”

 

“The truth about what?”

 

“Do you want me or not?”

 

“Wha--why are you asking me that? Of course I do.”

 

“Then say it. Say that you want me.”

 

“I-.”

 

“See. You can’t even say those words to my face. What makes you think I would just leave this as it is?"

 

"Wait, no, I-."

 

"Choose then! The meat or me?"

 

"What kind of stupid question is this? Of course the meat!"

 

"Luffy, you're supposed to say me. The meat isn't part of the equation here." Someone got slapped.

 

* * *

 

 

The door handle jiggled. Ace and Sabo, who had their ears pressed against the door, panicked and quickly dove away from the door. The nearest thing they could pretend to be doing, was to curl next to each other on the floor, lying on their stomach. Sabo snatched some random magazine from the pile underneath the table and flipped it into the center, and got an eyeful of someone’s ass. Ace choked and Sabo’s face reddened.

 

“What the heck? Whose porn magazine is this?” Sabo whispered and quickly threw it under the sofa and snatch another magazine from the pile. When Ace didn’t answer immediately, Sabo turned suspicious eyes to his brother and narrowed his eyes at him. “So it’s yours?”

 

“It’s not! The guys played a prank on me the other day and stuffed all their dirties in there.”

 

“Ewww. Why would they do that? What if they masturbated on these?”

 

Ace flushed. “... It’s because… I told them I don’t find anything sexual at all. I’m the walking asexuality example here.“

 

Sabo looked surprised. “Wait, seriously?” After all this time...? Sabo decided not to tell his brother that he once assumed Ace had a thing for that Smoker guy, that officer person from floor 7.

 

“Guys? What are you two doing here?” Luffy asked in surprise.

 

“Oh, nothing.” Ace laughed.

 

“Just talking about…” Sabo gestured to the magazine in his hand and blanched when he realized the page he had flipped open was a really suggestive ad. His cheeks flushed. Sabo quickly flipped the pages to something more PG-rated. Ace, however, had a better plan and simply distracted Luffy by giving him a really, long considering look.

 

“So… what’s with that face of yours?” Ace pinched Luffy’s face and stretched the cheeks. “This look of yours is creepy. Did aliens abduct the real Luffy and left some body double behind?"

 

"Ow, ow, ow! Stop it." Luffy groaned but he didn't sound angry. Instead, he tilted his head to one side, like a cat. "How does one act like a love sick person? How sick should such a person be?"

 

"What." Ace and Sabo said flatly.

 

"Nami picked me out for her play at school, and now I'm stuck playing this stupid character who falls in love with every person he meets in life."

 

"Wow... it's a play?"

 

"That's messed up."

 

"I know right? She even gave me this DVD to look at and I'm supposed to practise my lines over the dubbing."

 

"You suck." Ace pointed out impulsively. Sabo resisted the urge to counter Ace's words because just a moment ago, they both thought Luffy was actually confessing his love to another person.

 

Luffy pursed his lips. “It was soooo hard. Why can’t we all just be friends for life?”

  
  
  


* * *

**Sabo & Ace**

 

Sabo had packed up and moved out of the apartment not long after the Incident. He roomed with his fellow co-worker Hack at first, but gradually found himself bumming on Koala’s couch. It wasn’t because Hack found his presence problematic, no, instead, Sabo found himself being bothersome; Hack had just started seeing a lady friend and didn’t have time to watch Sabo mope around in the apartment when Hack was trying to impress said friend. So he stuck himself with Koala, who didn’t really care about impressing potential love interests at all.

 

“You should talk to your brother,” Koala had said on the fourth night Sabo had wiggled his face between her couch pillows, quiet and solemnly. She was about to call it a night, all dressed up in pink fluffy pajamas with dancing bears patterns, and rabbit bedroom slippers, before she braved the subject of his brothers and held his hand in hers. “Ace must be very lonely right now. In your apartment. Hasn’t eaten anything much in a few days now.”

 

Sabo hunched his shoulders, muffling his words behind an arm, “I can’t look at him anymore. I can’t look at him in the eye anymore.” His eyes were stinging but he refused to cry, hugging himself as he pulled up his knees to his chest.

 

The scar on the left side of his head still throbbed even though the doctor had declared it healing well. Every time he unwrapped the gauze to put on fresh ones, he started remembering that day, that day that ended a life. The scene of shrapnel flying into his face, of blood coloring his vision, and the sight of Luffy stuck underneath a pile up. They all replayed in his mind in an endless movie sequence with heavy thoughts of regret hanging in the air; ‘if only Sabo hadn’t taken that high way’ or ‘if only Ace hadn’t demanded them to go somewhere to eat’ or ‘if only Luffy was out of school a little early’.

 

“Have you considered that Ace might feel the same way too? That he might also be blaming himself for what happened?” Koala tried again, this time a little sharply, a little too exasperated. She was so done with his moping on her couch, so done with him flattening himself into the pillows.

 

However, Sabo ignored her, sinking his nose deeper into his knees, “Leave me alone,” and he curled himself around one of Koala’s heart-shaped throw pillows and turned his back to her, tugging his hand loose from her grip.

 

Koala blew tiredly at her bangs and leaned forward to give him a short hug from behind and then patted his thigh. “Get some sleep, Sabo.” She moved away slowly, left him at the couch, her rabbit slippers softly thudding on the carpet before the sound disappeared and Koala had made her way to bed.

 

Sabo didn’t react to Koala’s unusual comforting gesture, instead he pinched his eyes closed and tried to forget. Hoping that everything was just a bad nightmare, wishing that Luffy was still at home, sleeping soundly curled up in Sabo’s bed.

 

♥

 

Ace opened the door to look inside the room. It still looked the same that morning before Luffy left for school; old clothes thrown all over the bed, on the floor, in the corner, school books on the floor and lots of papers covering the desk. He bit his lower lip and inhaled sharply, pushing the door closed again, locking away memories of a smiling younger brother who used to bother him a lot about meat, about his homework and about his many friends.

 

With a heavy heart, Ace trudged down the hallway to knock on Sabo’s door. When he received no answer, Ace opened that door as well and peered inside. The whole room looked undisturbed. The bed was made, the walk-in closet was closed. Nothing was out of place, except… there was no Sabo inside.

 

He must have slept over at his new girlfriend’s place, Ace realized and pulled the door firmly closed before making his way to his own room. He didn’t make an effort to look at the mess around his bed or close the door on his way in, instead Ace threw himself on the bed, planting his face between his pillows and forcing himself to sleep. Because maybe once he wakes up, everything would have all just been a dream, and both his brothers were actually still living, breathing and sleeping down the hall.

 

A chill ran down his spine and in that very moment, Ace was alone.

 

 

  
  
  


**end**

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading~ :D


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